WIFC extended their unbeaten run to 7 games with a six goal win against Walsall, on a cold West Midlands morning. Having taken one of the largest squads to an away game in a long time, all 16 players saw plenty of action. A ten minute spell in the first half effectively settled the outcome and completed the first half of a ‘six point Saturday’ win double thanks to the big boys win at Aston Villa.

Andy Myall was first onto the scoresheet when he collected a fine Richard Murphy pass and finished in style. The lead was doubled almost immediately when a half cleared corner was returned with interest by James Jenkins. Lamar St Cyr then burst in from the right wing to finish from an acute angle. Right on the break, WIFC added a 4th when Tom Smithson connected with Joel Moody’s corner and sent a thumping header into the top corner.

Any hopes of a Walsall comeback in the second half were quickly removed when Myall added a second, tapping home after a goalmouth scramble and Dave Soloway completed the scoring when teed up perfectly by Moody. Keeper Tom Beck then made a fine full length save to ensure his first clean sheet of the season. The whole defence contributed, none less than Matt Ainsley, who put in a man of the match performance as a makeshift centre half and the returning stalwart Paul Labbett.

Team. 4-4-2, R to L. Tom Beck; Cleveland Brandy, Matt Ainsley, Dan Butterick, Ben Pegram; Lamar St Cyr, Richard Murphy, James Jenkins, Andy Myall; Jeremy Hinds, Mark O’Connor. Subs Paul Labbett, Joel Moody, Ed Sterry, Dave Soloway, Tom Smithson.

HAVING opened the 2015/16 season with 5 defeats, WIFC extended their unbeaten run to six games with a comfortable 5-0 win against Leyton Orient at a soggy Woodside today. The home side were off to another fast start when Tom Smithson headed home a Ben Pegram corner with only a minute on the clock. Smithson then turned provider to feed Dan Butterick, who showed some neat footwork to dig the ball out from under his feet and curl a shot into the bottom corner.

Joel Moody’s missed penalty didn’t distract the Internet ‘Orns too much as they kept the pressure on their hardworking visitors. Captain Ally Hill opened his account for the season with a close range finish at the second time of asking and then turned provider with a storming run and cross which was finished with a crafty chip from Charlie Wood, who followed his hat-trick against West Ham with his 4th of the season.

The second half arguably saw WIFC play better and create more clear-cut chances than the first, but a combination of wayward finishing, good goalkeeping and last ditch defending from a dogged Orient side kept the scoreline at 4 until Ross Connor finished high into the corner after a great pass from Hill, whose goal and 2 assists saw him named man of the match.

Team. 4-4-2, R to L. Jez Hinds; Brad Simmons, John Sitkowski, Ben Bateman, Dave Sitkowski; Ben Pegram, Ally Hill (c), Dan Butterick, Joel Moody; Tom Smithson, Charlie Wood. Subs Paul Withey, Ross Connor, Ed Sterry, Richard Walker.

Watford IFC ended a 17 game winless run against West Ham supporters this Saturday, with an entertaining 5-3 win at Cassiobury Park.

Despite not beating their East London opponents in a full fixture since the 2007/08 season, the Internet ‘Orns dominated the opening 20 minutes and found themselves 3-0 up. First Tom Smithson grabbed his second for the club, after notching in a recent victory at MK Dons, then Charlie Wood opened his own account with two well taken finishes. Whilst bucking the recent trend again West Ham, the 3-0 scoreline was the least Watford deserved for a high tempo, direct, and disciplined opening period of the match.

The home side couldn’t carry this performance through to the break though, West Ham capitalising on slack marking at a set piece to head themselves back into the game. At this point the visitors were enjoying more of the ball, winning the 50-50s, and pushing WIFC increasingly back to their penalty box.

It was the home side who’d score next though, and take a 4-1 lead into half time, as Ben Pegram’s cross come shot took a fortuitous bounce over the shoulder of the West Ham keeper. It was very much against the run of play and masked the visitors latter dominance.

Although warned at half time, WIFC struggled to match their earlier fine play and again conceded. This time a poor clearance fell to West Ham’s Will Bush and he bent a shot in from the edge of the box. The home side were then indebted to Jeremy Hinds’ fine reaction save, tipping a close range header onto the underside of the bar.

Much like the first half, WIFC found themselves up against it but broke to score a decisive goal. Charlie Wood battled down the left before cutting in and grabbing his hat trick with a firmly hit effort. He becomes the second player to open his scoring account for the club with a hat trick this season, following Mark O’Connor’s four goal haul against Tranmere.

As time ticked on West Ham would score again, this time from the penalty spot, but Watford held on and extended their unbeaten run to five games. It was a deserved win on the balance of play and nicely set up a six point Saturday, with the big boys following suit in the afternoon.

Team: Jez Hinds; Dave Morren, Mike De-Crescenzo, Dan Butterick, Matt Ainsley; Richard Murphy, Stuart Holdham, Ally Hill, Ben Pegram; Charlie Wood, Tom Smithson. Subs Tom Beck, Panos Fellas, Andy Myall, Mark O’Connor, Ben Bateman.