Western League Premier Division

Bristol Manor Farm 5 Slimbridge 1

BRISTOL Manor Farm demonstrated why they were pre-season favourites for the Toolstation Premier League with a ruthless demolition of Slimbridge at The Creek on Saturday.

The result sees the Swans slip from top to fourth in the table, with Manor Farm moving up to second.

Although Slimbridge could point to the continued absence of Jack Twyman, Sean Lawson and Jamie Hammond due to injuries, a suicidal first five minutes saw the visitors ship two goals, and there was never going to be any way back after that.

Kane Ingram, who tormented Slimbridge all afternoon, picked up the first goal, and this was quickly followed by a second from Jordan Metter.

With half an hour gone, it was three, Lloyd Mills converting from a corner, and Pete Sheppard made it four ten minutes into the second half.

Ben Tunnicliff pulled one back for Slimbridge but a penalty from Billy Downes completed the rout with seven minutes remaining.

Farm made a very high tempo start and appeared to catch the Swans on the hop – just three minutes were on the clock when Ingram drilled home a shot from the edge of the box.

Two minutes later the lead was doubled when Metters' cross drifted into the far corner of the net.

With Slimbridge given no time to settle, Ingram and Metters combined for a neat one-two which saw Ingram's shot just too high with less than ten minutes on the clock.

Ingram was causing all sorts of problems for the visitors and had three shots blocked in quick succession before Farm notched their third on 27 minutes. Mills' header from a corner gave Dave Evans no chance and sent the home side into the break completely in control of proceedings.

The second half saw more of the same as the Swans were pinned back time after time – Ingram was again close on two occasions before Will Hailston's shot took a wicked deflection to record Farm's fourth of the afternoon on 54 minutes.

Ingram again went close on 55 minutes, but his lofted effort landed on the roof of the net before Slimbridge pulled a goal back on 68 minutes when Jamie Martin's corner was headed home by Tunnicliff.

With eight minutes remaining, a tackle on Farm's Jack Durrant in the box was deemed a foul by the referee and, despite Dave Evans going the right way and getting his hands to Downes' shot, the ball slipped agonisingly inside the post to put the final touch to a miserable afternoon for the visitors, who will now need to pick themselves up for a trip to Bishop Sutton on Saturday.

Slimbridge: Evans, Turl, Ryan Thwaite, Freeman (Rich Thwaite 55), Tunnicliff, Ward, Knott (Parrott 55), Turner, Martin, Davies, Fahy.

Star man: Sam Turl.