Holwell Sports endure afternoon to forget at Radford

Apart from Liam Chapman hitting the angle of bar and post in the opening minute from a free-kick it was hard to take anything positive out of this match as Holwell stumble through the league programme.

After the initial scare, Radford were right at the visitors, breaking from the right on four minutes to bring a good save out of Jamie Witham.

It had all went wrong for Holwell within a disastrous six-minute spell.

First Errol Campbell reacted quickest to a loose ball in the box to fire home a 10th-minute opner after Witham had saved a stinging shot from Reece Fyfe.

Within a minute, the visitors were two-down when Meakin’s good cross-field pass was taken on the left edge of the box by Fyfe whose shot back across the keeper beat Witham low to his right.

Holwell tried to get back into the game and Reeves went close, but just failed to control the ball before shooting just over.

But the hosts foudn themseles three-up after 16 minutes as Meakin scored from 30 yards with a piledriver which left Witham without a chance.

Holwell did rally for the last 20 minutes of the half, and at times looked a little better than the scoreline suggested.

But a minute before the break the home side looked to be heading in four-nil in front when Reeves looked to have scored, but Rob Woodcock did well to get back and save on the line.

Smith replaced Tinsley at half-time after a recurrence of the hamstring injury which has blighted the forward’s season.

With so many of Holwell’s squad looking shell-shocked it was no surprise that after a brief period of Holwell pressure, the second half continued as the first with one-way Radford traffic.

John Webster’s side went shipped theuir fourth on the hour mark when they were cut open by Radford.

Jevon Seaton shrugged off Chapman and continued his run on goal to score easily past Witham, only for the forward to be immediately substituted.

Fyfe then added his second of the match with 20 minutes left to round off a comprehensive beating for Holwell who stay 14th, still just three points off 11th place, but havign played at least two more games than all of the teams around them.

Sports will hope to respond with back-to-back matches at Welby Road, starting with Saturday’s visit of Anstey Nomads (kick-off 3pm).

Anstey are two places lower in 16th and were seen off 3-0 in the reverse fixture, but have picked up 10 points from their last five matches, includign a 4-0 win ovber Arnodl last weekend.

Then on Tuesday, Holwell host rock-bottom Ellistown and Ibstock who have lost 27 of their 29 league matches this campaig, including a new year 2-0 home defeat to Sports. Kick-off is 7.45pm.

Holwell: J. Witham, L. Chapman, A. Ridout, R. Woodcock, I. Bitmead, D. Reeves, C. Hibbitt, B. Smith, K, Foster, M. Tinsley (S. Smith 45), G. Wells. Subs: C. Cropper, T. Harris.