Saturday 15th September 2018, NWCFL Premier Division

Congleton Town 4 (Cope 8, 58, Main 55, Adegbenro 80)
West 1 (Henderson 63)
Att: 141

West slumped to another heavy away defeat as Congleton Town eased to victory at Booth Street.

Congleton established a three-goal lead before the hour through Daniel Cope and John Main, and although Saul Henderson pulled a goal back, the home side were smarter than the average bear and rubber-stamped their sixth league win in six through Emini Adegbenro with ten minutes remaining.

The Bears barely broke sweat in a first period in which goalkeeper Craig Ellison was a virtual spectator – Cope opened the scoring early on, whipping a free-kick low past Burgess from the edge of the box, and could have had a treble before the interval. His acrobatic volley was even more athletically tipped over by the overworked West keeper, and moments later the former Hanley Town man blazed over from inside the six yard box following a cross from the left.

Just the one goal separated the sides at the break, however, and West should have punished the home side for their profligacy inside 60 seconds of the restart – Henderson shot too close to Ellison when clear on goal, before Woodward snatched at the rebound to send the ball well over the bar.

Congleton were more clinical as the hour mark approached – Main swept the ball low past Burgess after West had failed to clear a Bears attack, before Cope grabbed a deserved second when West were exposed by a quick break.

The match was drifting to a miserable conclusion from a West perspective, but Henderson claimed a consolation when he delicately lifted the ball over Ellison from a tight angle. The West striker’s fifth goal of the season was notable if only for the fact it was the first goal the Bears had conceded in the league this season.

West briefly rallied – substitute Georgi Whyment shot straight at Ellison after he was found by Ben Woods – but Congleton finished with a flourish and restored their three-goal cushion when Adegbenro burst onto the ball just inside the West half, surged into the box and finished neatly below Burgess.

West: Burgess, Brew-Butler (Eiselt 63), Tinker (S. Mason 45), Andrews, J. Mason, Eckersley, Dos Santos, Roberts, Henderson, Woodward (Whyment 68), B. Woods . Not used: Jones, Brockley.