Andrew ‘Rocky’ Neal’s hat trick inside the opening 30 minutes helped secure a 4-0 Evo-Stik League victory for the Peacocks against Chesham United at the Viridor Stadium yesterday afternoon (15th September).
Chesham threatened first before Town took the lead at the Invest Southwest End after 11 minutes, Neal latching onto a flick to round Alex Tokarczyk and net from a tight angle. Neal doubled the tally six minutes later when he was quick to react to a ricochet off a defender to hook the loose ball into the corner before he claimed his treble on the half hour, Wright again flicking on a Lloyd Irish goal kick for Neal to slant an angled finish past Tokarczyk. Dan Sullivan missed a good chance to add another but Taunton soon added a fourth goal three minutes after half time, Shane White crossing for the unmarked Wright to power home a header. Chesham enjoyed a better spell as they chased a lost cause but Town’s outfield keeper Craig Veal who had replaced Irish at the break proved equal to the task as he dealt competently with everything while the Peacocks came close to increasing their tally through White as they eased to a victory which lifts them into 2nd spot. Attention now turns back to the Emirates FA Cup and the visit of Bitton to the Viridor Stadium next Saturday.
Reaction | acting manager Rob Dray commented, “Today was another day closer to ten games in this division which will give us a reasonable idea of where we are at the moment. For Matt and I it was the manner of the win which impressed, we have talked about keeping the ball better in the opposition half which showed yesterday. Rocky’s finishing was superb and was especially pleasing for him. However we won’t get carried away, there are still little things to polish. Next week it’s the FA Cup against an in-form Bitton who are packed with ex-Southern League players so we will prepare for this game with the help of an excellent report. Lastly yet again there were 550 plus at the Viridor which makes a huge difference and is another reason why we are a proper club.”
Man of the Match Rocky Neal remarked: “Obviously it was a good display from the boys, I thought we were ruthless all over the pitch. The boys have reacted well to the departure of Leigh and Meaks and nothing has changed with Rob and Matt taking over and demanding performances from everyone. We’ve set our standards and it’s important we deliver them consistently from now to ensure we stay in the running. On a personal note it’s nice to get my first competitive hat trick for the club. I think we have a special group of players and it’s very enjoyable playing in a team that creates these chances for you.”