FECKENHAM’S long-awaited return to league action proved a happy occasion as ten-man visitors Bolehall Swifts were thumped 7-0.
Victory in the Millers’ first Midland League Division Two fixture since mid-October leaves Feckenham five points adrift of second-placed Knowle with four games in hand.
Four goals were scored during the opening half on Saturday – the first pair emanating from assists by the creative Umit Eminoglu.
His smart pass for Connor Perry-Holmes to latch on to led to the striker lifting a clever finish over the advancing keeper from inside-left.
The second goal came from a set-piece and it was Jake Donnelly who popped up at the right post to side-foot Eminoglu’s left-flank centre into the net.
Busy Swifts left-back Ryan Northall was then dismissed before the interval for a challenge on Danny Murphy as the frontman raced towards the area with only visiting keeper Shane Wardall ahead of him.
Goal three was similar to the opener but this time Perry-Holmes split the Swifts’ defence to free Donnelly, who confidently shot low past onrushing keeper Wardall.
Another set-piece led to it becoming 4-0 but this time it was a short, right-wing corner by Eminoglu to the industrious Dan Sutton which brought about the finish by Danny Murphy.
Sutton clipped the ball into the six-yard box and there was no stopping the big striker’s powerful header.
The fifth goal was scored directly from the restart after the break, when Eminoglu latched on to the ball in midfield.
Left with far too much space, his driving run took him to the right byline from where his low cut-back took a deflection and rolled kindly for Perry-Holmes to flick the ball upwards with the outside of his right boot and into the top-left corner of the net.
Goal six stemmed from a slight error by Luke Pagett, allowing Murphy to rush forward into the left side of box, shrug off a defender and shoot right-footed beyond Wardall.
The final goal was again superbly assisted by Eminoglu whose fine pass found Perry-Holmes who controlled the ball and unleashed a rising drive into the corner of the net to complete his hat-trick.
Feckenham host Alcester Town at the Entaco on Saturday (2pm).
Report by Pete at themowdog.blogspot.com.
