Longdon F C 3 vs 1 Shelfield Villa

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Chet began a run of five homes games with a deserved win against the much improved Shelfield Villa (Walsall) who featured at least two former premier division players in their line up.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">&nbsp;

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Ryan Tait and Craig Black terrorised Shelfield from the outset.&nbsp; Two defenders were despatched to mark Black who was dominant down the right wing.&nbsp;

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">&nbsp;

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">This tactic quickly backfired and the visitors found themselves in arrears by the 4th minute.&nbsp; Gavin Horsfall collected the ball in the left back position; he smartly exploited space in front of him before his pin point centre was met by Tait who guided the ball into the net.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">&nbsp;

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Horsfall, Stuart Talbot and Dan Lowndes ran midfield and after the opening goal the result was never in doubt.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">&nbsp;

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Chet were dominant; Shaun Jessop went upfield for corners and twice headed narrowly over.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">&nbsp;

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Shelfield scrambled back to level terms in the 14th minute scoring a fortunate goal from outside the area.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">&nbsp;

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Honours were even for just 2 minutes. &nbsp;Shelfield&rsquo;s obsession with Black on the right wing left acres of space on the other side.&nbsp; Jason Rowley took full advantage of this; his perfectly placed cross found Tait who scored with a well placed header.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">&nbsp;

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Chet, who were playing in their new sky blue kit, swarmed forward; Lowndes, Talbot and Rowley (twice) all went close.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">&nbsp;

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">The second half was much the same; Chet sealed victory in the 65th minute when Talbot set up Tait whose shot crept in at the foot of the left post.&nbsp; This was his hat trick and eighteenth success of the season; Tait has scored half of the team&rsquo;s goals this year.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">&nbsp;

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">The remainder of the match was a tame affair although the visitors were denied what looked a clear penalty; the award of this would have made the final quarter interesting.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">&nbsp;

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Elsewhere two of Chet&rsquo;s closest rivals, Freemans (Pelsall) and Rushall Boathouse (Walsal), lost unbeaten records; this means Royal Oak (Rushall) are the only team in the division whose destiny Chet cannot control.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">&nbsp;

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">All in all a good day for the Chet who were watched by their biggest attendance of the season to date.