HOLWELL HIT SEVEN AND GO BACK TO TOP OF TABLE

Senior League Premier Division

HOLWELL SPORTS 7

ANSTEY NOMADS 0

The three points were enough to take them back to the top of the table after previous leaders Thurnby were surprisingly held to a draw at Blaby and Whetstone, giving Holwell a big boost before the two teams meet head-on in a mouthwatering fixture at Thurnby on Saturday (3pm).

Holwell piled on the pressure from the start, forcing corner after corner, but rarely troubled keeper Headley. And in fact it was Anstey who came the closest to scoring when Richard Cragg did well to turn over a powerful free kick driven in by Ferrar.

However, three goals in a fine six-minute spell virtually put the game out of Anstey's reach. The opener finally came on 22 minutes and it was well worth waiting for, Michael Stevenson neatly side-stepping a defender on the edge of the box before planting a low shot past Headley's left hand.

And before Anstey had time to recover from this setback Holwell had the ball in the net again, Sam Bettinson heading home Wayne Crutchley's right wing cross in fine style.

Then, as Holwell continued to turn the screw, Brett Sinclair, lending his weight to the attack, was bundled over in the box and Dave Saddington confidently blasted the spotkick low to the right past the diving Headley.

Anstey were finding it difficult to make any impression on Holwell's defence who were now in total control and it came as no surprise when the home side went 4-0 up seven minutes before the break. Graham Keast cut in from the left and when Headley could only parry his angled shot, Bettinson was on hand to poke in with his left foot.

Anstey were obviously looking to get back into the match in the second half but within minutes their hopes were dashed when Crutchley and Keast worked a short corner on the right and the former's low shot evaded Headley and went in at the far post.

The visitors kept going, however, and held out until midway through the half when two goals in a minute finished them off. Firstly Stevenson, who had an excellent game in midfield, laid the ball off for Crutchley to bag his second with an angled shot, and then Crutchley and Bettinson linked up well to set up Jason Joshi to round off the scoring.

Holwell: R. Cragg, W. Crutchley, C. Young, R. Aldridge, D. Saddington, B. Sinclair, J. Joshi (C), S. Smith (J. Mckay 70), S. Bettinson, G. Keast (M. Mason 70), M. Stevenson.

l On Tuesday night Holwell entertain Ibstock in the first round of this season's Rolleston Cup. Kick-off time is 7.45.