Sandridge Rovers 1 Buntingford Town 9 TOWN made it 17 goals in two games to move six points clear at the top of the Herts County League Premier Division, with Tuesday s demolition of Sandridge. Rovers who had still an outside chance of winning the champ

Sandridge Rovers 1 Buntingford Town 9

TOWN made it 17 goals in two games to move six points clear at the top of the Herts County League Premier Division, with Tuesday's demolition of Sandridge.

Rovers who had still an outside chance of winning the championship and with only one home defeat this season, had no real answer to Town's dominant showing.

And boss Paul Attfield was a delighted man. "From an attacking point of view this is the best showing we have produced this season," he said.

"I thought we were playing a pretty decent team who always looked capable when in possession, but we just showed top quality defensive resolution, team effort, creativity and finishing tonight, and very few teams would have coped with our display."

It took only four minutes for the visitors to open the scoring, when Tom Malins floated in a perfect corner for Will Turl to head in from six yards.

The lead only lasted two minutes when a hopeful left-wing cross was not claimed, with Town keeper Damion Williamson under pressure, and Gary Haywood reacted quickest to nod in from close range.

Town deservedly regained the lead in the 14th minute, when Chris Hardy ran on to a long ball, and despite frantic appeals for offside, Hardy headed the ball over the advancing keeper.

Five minutes later Town went further ahead when Craig Hammond beat the offside trap and squared for Tom Malins to bundle in from close range.

Any thoughts the home side had of getting back into the game evaporated within the first five minutes of the second half, with Town hitting a double early burst.

In the 47th minute Hardy scored from close range after a neat build-up through midfield, and three minutes later Luke Robins crossed superbly for Will Turl to bullet a header into the top left corner from 10 yards.

Town continually looked like adding to their tally, and scored the pick of their goals in the 74th minute.

Turl knocked a sublime 40-yard crossfield ball that Malins allowed to bounce once before volleying fiercely into the bottom left corner from 20 yards.

Three minutes later Hardy completed a well-deserved hat-trick with Town's seventh goal when he headed in from close range.

Mark Wright scored Town's eighth in the 85th minute with a clinical 10-yard finish, and Hammond's forward line work rate saw him notch a deserved goal in the final minute with a sweet 16-yard strike to complete the rout.

Town: D Williamson, L Endacott, D Easley, D Cain, J Babbage, C Hardy, M Smith, T Malins (R Young), W Turl (M Wright), C Hammond, L Robins (J Stephens)

- Town travel to fellow title contenders Whitewebbs on Saturday before visiting Met Police Bushey next Thursday.