Park go goal crazy!

Photo: Tim Bradley

IT'S THERE: Sam Robinson scores Royton's first goal

Royton Park 14, Tameside Wolves 0

ROYTON Park went goal-crazy to significantly enhance their chances of promotion in Division Three of the Sports Tours International Tameside Sunday League at Clayton playing fields.

On a raw morning, with flecks of snow peppering the rutted pitch, Park's latest challenge in their quest to reach Division Two came in the shape of bottom-of-the-table Tameside Wolves, who had an unenviable goal difference of minus-105.

And that statistic was to get even worse as the match unfolded.

Amazingly, it took Park just over 20 minutes to start the goal rush against a very game Wolves outfit who were into their first season as an open-age team following spells in junior football.

The playing surface didn't help Park one bit, with a succession of passes and crosses into the opposition box either going astray or grossly over-hit.

The floodgates did eventually open when Sam Robinson powered home an angled volley from 16 yards.

It was 4-0 to Park at half-time, but player-manager Lewis Waterman knew that his side could have done much better.

Waterman said: "As soon as half-time came I told the lads that we needed to get back to playing the kind of football we can play and to keep the ball on the ground.

"The players responded and we scored 10 second-half goals. Fair play to Tameside, they put up a fight early on and they are still quite a young side."

BATTLES

There are bigger battles to come for Park in the weeks ahead.

Dom Doyle FC and Bohemians FC are the two other sides in main contention for promotion and Waterman added: "We've got to play both sides in the near future and if we can get good results from those two games then we should be in with a good shout of going up."

GOALS: Royton Park - Robinson (21, 31, 66, 69), Sutcliffe (41, 52, 56, 86), Wilson (46, 70, 89), Avery (33), Waterman (76), Orr (81).

ROYTON PARK: Thoburn, Orr, Malone, Jones, Forster, L McNally, H McNally, Robinson, Wilson, Sutcliffe, Avery. Subs: Lovatt, Harrop, Kolakowski.

STAR MAN: James Wilson (Royton Park) - Box-to-box display throughout.

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