Bristol Churches League Division 1

Edge Church FC 0 Thornbury Baptist Church FC 6

THORNBURY Baptists eventually hit Edge for six at Little Stoke Park on Saturday, but they owed that to an exceptional first half performance up the hill and into the wind that saw them come into the break two-nil up.

Thornbury made the livelier start and Ash Tuck shot just wide in the third minute after a cross from James Hancox.

Tuck didn’t have long to wait for his second chance and this time he latched onto an ill-judged defensive pass, rounded the goalkeeper and finished coolly for a valuable lead after just five mins.

At the other end, Davis Newcombe made the first of two important saves as he threw himself to his left to intercept a cross-come-shot that would have left a tap-in for the onrushing forward.

On 18 minutes, Tuck was set free again, this time the commanding Doug Nash finding the through-ball and Tuck squared the pass for James Ponting to apply the simple finish having got forward from left midfield.

The hosts were growing into this game however and the dangerous Matt Parramore was finding increasing space in the final third.

When he turned Phil Loadwick inside the box, he looked a safe bet to slot home, but again Newcombe had other ideas and pulled off another sprawling save to his left.

The two-nil lead was magnified by the slope and the wind, both of which turned in The Baps’ favour at half-time and thy made it count with 4 well-worked goals.

First a James Hancox throw-in was headed on by Jimmy Cooke and Tuck pounced to fire inside the near post.

And Tuck had his deserved hat-trick when a slick move down the left flank saw him round the keeper again, and fire in from the tightest of angles.

So often the provider, it was finally James Hancox’s turn to bag the fifth as he switched flanks and cut in from the left to force the ball over the line despite a strong hand from the goalkeeper.

Then he was back to his trademark crossing from the right from which Tuck’s header was brilliantly saved and Cooke was there to tap home the simplest finish.

Thornbury will travel to Woodlands on Saturday for their BCFA Cup Semi-Final.