Bards delight with six of the best on opening day

The margin of victory looked unlikely at the end of a first half that was shaded by the visitors even though it was the Bards who went in at the break with a slender 2-1 advantage.

Stratford certainly started with intent, opening the scoring with their first real foray into the opposition area on three minutes when Ebanks turned his marker before drilling the ball past keeper Marcus Garnham from a narrow angle.

Needham’s response was immediate and impressive. A ball over the top found Luke Ingram in space but Bards keeper Liam O’Neil did well to block his shot for a corner. The resulting flag kick picked out Jacob Lay but he rushed his shot over the bar.

Not that the travelling supporters had to wait too long for parity. On ten minutes, another ball over the top saw O’Brien rush from his goal to clear but only as far as Kyle Hammond who lifted the ball back into the penalty area where Reece Harris guided it into the net from close range.

Ingram duly put another effort over the bar when well placed before O’Brien was forced to tip a rising effort from Hammond over the bar – and all this inside the opening 25 minutes.

The pace did drop though and it looked as though the sides would be level going into half-time only for a moment of madness from visiting keeper Garnham in added time when he clattered into O’Sullivan just as the ball looked to be going out. Referee Jake Allsop pointed to the spot and Ebanks thundered his kick into the roof of the net.

If that goal was cruel on Needham Market, Stratford’s third just four minutes into the second half was of their own making as Garnham and skipper Kieran Morphew dallied 25 yards out allowing O’Sullivan to nip in and deftly chip the ball into the empty net.

Ebanks weas denied his hat-trick a minute later when Morphew went someway to atoning for his carelessness by blocking a goalbound effort and O’Sullivan also had an effort cleared. The visitors also had chances with Tevan Allen and Callum Page going close.

But any hopes of a comeback from the East Anglian outfit were well and truly dismissed as the Bards finished the game in style, doubling their tally in a scintillating six-minute spell.

O’Sullivan grabbed his second of the game on 84 minutes, finding the net from just inside the area after substitute Charlie Dowd had hit the upright and then completed his hat-trick two minutes later with a delightful first time effort following good work from Lafferty.

And it was the midfielder who had the final say just as the game entered the eight minutes of added time, a powerful strike that gave Garnham no chance.

The scoreline was harsh on the visitors who looked a useful side, particularly in the first half. But what cannot be denied was the clinical finishing from the Bards who, in O’Sullivan and Ebanks, have two strikers full of confidence.

Town head to Barwell on Saturday before welcoming Stourbridge to the Arden Garages Stadium on Tuesday, 15th August.

Stratford: O’Brien 6, Vaughan 7, Worley 6, Ison 6 (D O’Sullivan 87, 6), McCone 7, Solanke 7, Williams 6 (Dowd 63, 6), Ngandu 6, Ebanks 8, Lafferty 9, R O’Sullivan 9. Subs (not used): Beresford, Daly, Morrison.

Needham Market: Garnham, Dye, Smith, Hammond, K Morphew, D Morphew, Ingram, Williams, Lay (Fraser 65), Allen (Page 65), Harris (McGrath 73). Subs (not used): Chambers, Letts.

Referee: Jake Allsop

Goals

Stratford: R O’Sullivan (49, 84, 86), Ebanks (3, 45+2p), Lafferty (90)

Needham Market: Harris (10)

Bards Star Man: Riley O’Sullivan

Opposition Star Man: Kyle Hammond