Cinderford Town 5 Andover 0.

CINDERFORD Town have had a wandering existence over the years ranging from the Western League to the Midland Combination, Warwickshire Comb, Gloucestershire Northern Senior League and the Hellenic League before reaching the Southern League.

The club from the Forest of Dean may well not have found their true level in this league but they found Andover’s net on Saturday and in experienced striker Jody Bevan had a strong runner who set up what was in the end a convincing win. With Newport County loanees Chris Hartland and Dan Harrison both influential it was always going to be an uphill struggle for the Lions who have now gone five months without a league win. What must make it all the more frustrating for manager Mick Catlin is that his side play some fine passing football and on Saturday they had the best of the first 20 minutes without being able to get on the scoresheet.

However, once Sean Evans had drilled in the opener on 20 minutes the home side took over and Bevan made it 2-0 five minutes later to all but kill off the game with over an hour left.

Lions had most of the squad to choose from after the long lay off, other than the suspended Paul Jones and Lewis Fennemore who is in America for a month.

Stuart Gates returned for a place on the bench alongside Mike Turvey with Nic Eastham and Ashley Jarvis up front.

Heavy rain overnight had made the pitch very boggy but it was playable and within two minutes Anthony Ender had been forced into a save on the goal line from a Bevan header. Hartland then went close before Alex Ward drove over twice in ten minutes, the second after a patient buld up invloving Eastham and Kyle Swayne.

Jarvis then tested Matt Bath with a swivle shot as Lions looked the equal of Cinderford, who not so long ago were at the top with Truro City.

Seemingly against the run of play Evans picked the ball up in midfield and with room enough cut inside to drill a left foot shot along the ground past Enders. Cinderfprd then went for the kill and Bevan hit the bar with a header before watching his rebound header saved again by Enders. At the other end Ward again was inches wide with a 25 yard drive but luck had deserted Andover as Evans crossed from the elft and Bevan got a foot to the ball and it was 2-0 on 25 minutes.

On the half hour Kyle Swayne and Nic Eastham combined for Jamie Barron to bring a save from Bath then after Ward’s charge through the middle Barron blazed over from a handy position.

Af the break Cinderford took control and within a minute Craig Tait put a diving header just wide before Kyle Swayne shot over from a good position. Before the hour mark manager Catlin had seen enough and threw on Gates and Turvey in a straight swap for Eastham and Barron but he could do little as the home side made it 3-0 on the hour. Simon Truman struck a 30 yard free-kick which dipped just as Enders slipped and the ball flew through his hands and in.

The young keeper soon made amends when he superbly tipped another dipping Evans shot over and from the corner Bevan’s goalbound volley was cleared off the line. Cinderford were looking for more goals and within 15 minutes left it was four. Substitute Lewis Sommers had only just got on when he was given room to shoot and although the first shot was blocked the second wasn’t.

A rare Andover attack saw Gates wide from six yards but Town came back and when a corner was not cleared on 80 minutes Neil Griffiths hammered it home.

To their credit Andover battled on and Jarvis had a shot saved by Bath before Turvey was tripped in the box and after looking for an advantage referee Redmand awarded the spot-kick.

Predictably on a dank and gloomy day in the Forest of Dean Kyle Swayne’s shot was saved by Bath to leave the travelling support goalless and pointless once again.

Team: Ender, Buckland, Williams, B Swayne, M Jones, Roden, Barron, Ward, Eastham, Jarvis, K Swayne. Subs: Murphy, Andrews, Gates, Turvey