Hartpury go nine points clear thanks to five star first half performance against Brimscombe
Hartpury University stretched their lead at the top of the Hellenic Premier table to nine points with a 5-0 win over Brimscombe & Thrupp on Thursday night.
Five first half goals saw Hartpury comfortably ahead at half time, before seeing the game out on a frosty night on campus.
Luke Salter’s penalty was added to by a Nathan Jenkins double, before the hosts added two goals in the final three minutes of the half, with Renato Prifti and Cheick Kone getting on the scoresheet.
The win, alongside Roman Glass St George’s 5-1 defeat at Worcester Raiders, sees Hartpury further ahead at the top of the league, with nine points and a game in hand over second placed Mangotsfield United as a strong hand going into the business end of the season.
Next up for Hartpury is a trip to Mangotsfield on Saturday, where a win will put them in a fantastic position.
For Brimscombe, it was a game that realistically no one expected them to win pre-match. In their quest for survival, they will be targeting games Thornbury Town, Cirencester Town and Longlevens this month.
The Lilywhites are now five points from safety after Lydney Town’s resurgence, however Brimscombe have played three more games than the two sides above them, Lydney and Thornbury.
Brimscombe also head to Tuffley on Saturday, a ground that has been a tough place to go in the last couple of seasons.
The game itself saw both sides settle into a good rhythm, but it was Hartpury who showed the greater threat.
Renato Prifti should have scored on 5 minutes, as he arrived at the back post to a ball but side footed wide.
But on 12 minutes, Louis Manning was tripped in the box and the impressive Luke Salter stepped up to just about squeeze his spotkick past Elliot Jones.
From there it was all Hartpury, who grew in confidence following the goal. On 24 minutes, a ball into the box was headed down for Nathan Jenkins to side foot his effort into an empty net.
Ten minutes later, Jenkins weaved his way into space on the edge of the box before his effort was too hot for Jones to handle and the game was all but over.
Manning and Salter combined down the left hand side of the box, before the ball in was turned home by Prifti – who deserved his goal on the night.
And Hartpury were in cruise control when in added time, Cheick Kone rifled an effort against the crossbar, before the rebound was laid back to Kone to fire home.
On a tough night, the fifth goal would have been a real disappointment for the Brimscombe management, as it was really poor at just how easy Hartpury got into the box, recovered the rebound and finished it off before a green shirt had even moved.
Brimscombe have twelve games to save themselves, but with the fact they are five points and 30 goals worse off than their nearest rivals, time is running out.
For Hartpury, a win at Mangotsfield on Saturday will surely give them one hand on the Hellenic Premier title.
Hartpury University: Sarkodie, Kent, Robinson, Giles, Machisa, Kang, Prifti, Jenkins, Kone, Salter, Manning
Subs: Mathews, Farion, Towns, Baxter, Osborn
Brimscombe & Thrupp: Jones, K Marks, T Griffin, Toop, N Marks, Kerr, Hanson, Stokes, Archer, Lee, Witt
Subs: Ahmed, D Griffin, Purnell, Vaughan
C Martin Roofing Man of the Match – Nathan Jenkins (Hartpury University)
READ MORE: Check out Saturday’s fixtures in and around Gloucestershire right here
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