Lancaster City 5-0 Prescot Cables

Despite the visitors not performing anywhere near like their recent results suggested they would, the Dolly Blues put in what was by far the most pleasing performance of the season to date.

The hosts were on top from the outset, Zach Clark almost netted within the first couple of minutes but he overcooked his attempted lob.

Clark has made a noticeable difference since his arrival with his directness and positive intent to go with his high work rate.

It was, however, his namesake Gavin who claimed the opening goal after Jacob Gregory burst into the box on the overlap and, after his teasing cross somehow stayed out, the ball found its way to Clark at the back post, his effort bouncing in off Joe Herbert.

Zach Clark did get what his overall performance deserved not long after the deadlock was broken, powerfully winning the tussle at the front post to glance home Ryan Winder’s free kick.

He was unlucky to not double his tally, as a determined run from the right touchline culminated in him squirming into the box and having his shot from a tight angle saved by Marcus Burgess.

Winder, once again at the heart of everything City created even from the right hand side, picked up his second set piece assist of the day just after the half hour mark as he drilled a corner to Billy Akrigg on the edge of the box, his 25 yard effort flying through a pile of bodies into the bottom corner.

The game was effectively sealed nine minutes before the interval when Lloyd Dean was dismissed for Prescot after what appeared to be a stamp on Tom Watson.

Zach Clark could have made it four after Winder slipped the ball through but he shot straight at Burgess.

However, it wasn’t long before the fourth was notched, Neil Marshall angled a pinpoint ball over the top of the Cables defence to Ryan Winder who controlled brilliantly coming in from the right and slotted past Burgess for his eighth of the season.

Jacob Gregory again found himself near the byline fizzing the ball across goal, this time to Joe Whittington who skied from close range, and Winder’s one-two with Zach Clark only finished with Burgess saving.

Gregory did pick up another assist in controversial circumstances, playing through an advantage after Cables had stopped expecting the referee to blow up and squaring to Gavin Clark to tap in his second of the game.

Ricky Mercer and substitute Jacob Davis both headed over late on but Phil Brown will have been more than delighted with the five goals and the performance, creating a hatful of half-chances to go with the ones that were taken and limiting Prescot to efforts from distance.

Lancaster City: Hale, Gregory (Davis), G Clark, Watson, Marshall, Mercer, Winder, Akrigg, Z Clark, Russell (Street), Whittington (Morris).