Bristol Churches League Division 1

Thornbury Baptist Church FC 6 Emmanuel 3

AFTER the relative tranquillity of last week’s goal-less result against Shirehampton at the Alveston Arena, Thornbury Baptists were due a goal-fest and this fixture duly delivered.

A Jimmy Cooke hat-trick, a double for James Hancox and a bullet header from the returning Dave Tushingham cancelled out a brilliant individual performance from Alex Bakker who also bagged himself a hat-trick for the visitors.

Thornbury led within five minutes when a Dave Tushingham cross was met by Jimmy Cooke who flicked his header over the keeper and into the far post.

Merely ten minutes later Cooke had his second after a smart team move that saw Stu Kelly combine with Phil Mansfield before Tushingham again made the assist and Cooke fired a left-foot strike across the keeper into the bottom corner.

Bakker looked the only danger man at the other end but squandered a real gift having got the better of Jon Braid in the Thornbury defence.

The Baps looked like they could add to their tally at will though and James Hancox was denied by a brilliant near post save before Phil Mansfield fired a great chance wide of the far post.

The 2-0 half time lead was deserved, but the action was promising more goals and the second half duly yielded 7 of them.

Cooke had his hat-trick on 46 minutes when he closed down the full-back on the left flank and fired a cross-come-shot that nestled in the far corner having looped over the beleaguered Emmanuel goalkeeper.

Thornbury could have been forgiven for thinking the points were secured, but Emmanuel’s riposte was instantaneous.

Bakker beat the offside trap and coolly rounded Davis Newcombe before rolling the ball into the empty net. Chances were coming thick and fast now.

First, Dave Tushingham and then Nick Tymko went close from Thornbury corners before a James Hancox corner beat everyone with a little wind assistance and gifted Thornbury a fourth.

Again Bakker wasn’t done and he breached the Baps defence on 68 minutes to fire home his second, 4-2.

After providing three assists for Cooke, Tushingham was due some repayment and it came on 78 minutes when he powered home a header from a Cooke corner.

And five minutes later Cooke was re-engaging his rarely exposed altruistic side as he collected a Mansfield throw-in and whipped a cross in for Hancox to head home his second and Thornbury’s sixth.

Bakker wasn’t going to be denied his own milestone and took it with some aplomb, picking the ball up just inside the Thornbury half on the break and beating two men before fizzing a strike past Newcombe for a late Emmanuel consolation.

It wasn’t a morning to be a defender but Thornbury will be delighted with the free-scoring victory and will wonder how they didn’t register even more in this pulsating encounter.

They look well set for a top three finish whilst Emmanuel look increasingly doomed to relegation after many years in the top flight.