Vs. Old Centmodians (H)
Starting XI	Substitutes:
Simon Cutler
Owen Davies
Gary Wenham
Doug Morris
Paul Ford
Pete Cooper
Andy Mills (c)
Dave Mills
Adrian Gaylon	(75 Loksan Harley)
Mike Gould
Gary Walsh
Referee: J Winter
Goals: Gould (15,35), Walsh (45), D Mills (68)
HT Score: 3-0
FT Score: 4-0
Booked: A Mills, Wenham.

With a great display of teamwork and endeavour, the Baptists adapted well to the tricky pitch conditions, and the Battle based church team were always in control of this East Sussex League Division 4 fixture, despite surprisingly unfriendly tactics by their opponents, who had 6 players booked for a variety of incredulous misdemeanours.

Scoring 4 times for the second consecutive week, the Baptists went ahead in the 15^th minute when Gary Walsh turned his marker on the slippery surface, firing a close range shot that was superbly blocked by the keeper, only to fall kindly into the path of Zion Man of the Match Mike Gould who gratefully tapped into the opening goal.

Old Cents missed a golden opportunity to equalise when a superb right wing cross left the goal gaping for the central attacker who somehow headed wide. Enjoying a period of sustained pressure, the visiting team couldn’t penetrate the resilient and well-organised home defence again. Attack after attack was broken up by tackle after tackle as the Baptist midfield and defenders worked industriously to deny further goal-scoring opportunities.

Goal poacher Gould extended the Baptists’ lead on 35 minutes after a calamitous back-pass was struck woefully short, allowing the wily striker to run in unopposed and score at his second attempt, having rebounded his first shot against the hapless keeper.

Like Manna from heaven, the third goal came on the stroke of half time when Gould was ‘bear-hugged’ on the edge of the penalty area. Walsh lined up the resulting free kick and struck the spot kick as sweet as Frankincense around the wall and into the top corner with the keeper rooted in the sticky goalmouth.

After half time, further chances were squandered as both Gould and Walsh fired good opportunities wide of the mark, before left back Paul Ford forged forward, cleverly linking up with playmaker Pete Cooper. Cooper’s cross was forcefully smacked home at the back post by goal-a-game Dave Mills, completing a satisfying win for the hardworking Baptists, whose opponents next week are pitch-sharers Battle Rangers, in the second of the season’s derby games. KO is 2pm at the Rec.