Hellenic League Premier Division Pegasus Juniors 0 Slimbridge 4

SLIMBRIDGE looked refreshed after their week's enforced lay-off due to the weather to turn in an excellent team performance to win 4-0 at Pegasus Juniors.

A brace from Steve Badham and a goal apiece for Matt Green and Rich Moore did the damage on an excellent pitch at Hereford Racecourse. An early break for Slimbridge saw a pinpoint 35 yard cross-field pass from Ross Casey fall into the path of Badham who put in a good cross that Moore headed just over the bar.

It took 17 minutes for the hosts to put a threatening attacking move together when Gavin Stone went narrowly wide from the edge of the area.

The much travelled Adie Harris taking time out from Gloucester City looked a handful for the Slimbridge defence early on in particular. On 19 minutes he squirmed his way into the box before unleashing a strong shot that luckily for Ryan Chandler took a deflection for a corner.

On 22 minutes the visitors went ahead when a long, high Casey cross into the box was not gathered cleanly by Scott Hodgetts in the home goal and Badham was on hand to slot in.

Pegasus came back and on the half hour Harris got to a long ball ahead of the onrushing Chandler but lifted the ball wide of the goal. Badham then went close again for Slimbridge, driving into the side-netting, and just before the interval a Fred Ward corner saw Andy Pritchett head narrowly over at the back post.

The second half began with a scare in the Slimbridge box when Harris got free down the right and set up Stone, whose shot was brilliantly saved by Chandler from some four yards, before the rebound shot was driven straight at the confident goalkeeper who, this time, held on well while off-balance, leaving Stone shaking his head in disbelief for passing up his side's best chance of the match.

Back came the visitors and Green teed up Joe Iatalese, making a forward surging run up the right, but the shot was just too high. However, this seemed to be the signal for a sustained spell of attacking from Slimbridge and on 52 minutes they went two up.

Casey made a terrific run through the middle of a congested midfield, flicked the ball to Moore who rolled it sideways for Badham to fire in his second goal of the game.

On the hour mark Laurence Helme squandered a free-kick on the edge of the visitors' box and this was the last threat that Pegasus made to an increasingly confident Slimbridge side, with Pritchett and Leon Sterling looking particularly solid.

Casey, Green, Ward and Badham were turning the screw in midfield and the third goal arrived on 65 minutes. Ward fed Casey down the right, who made a surging run to the by-line before pulling the ball back for Green to majestically head in from close range.

The promising Nick Rieger and the experienced Gary Marshall, back in first team action after some sterling reserve team performances, both came on after 68 minutes, and the fresh legs added to a now rampant visiting performance. Moore was beginning to cause havoc with strong running at the Pegasus back line and Ward was starting to get the better of a tiring Harris. Rieger twice headed Ward crosses just over the bar, but right at the end it was third cross lucky for Ward when Moore got a deserved goal with a calm header past a stranded Hodgetts to seal a strong second half showing for Slimbridge.

With regulars Craig Cole, Julian Freeman, Adam Paul and Ashley Thomas either unavailable or injured it was a heartening way to sign off 2003, back in the top three. The emergency strike force of Moore and Tommy Callinan certainly did their bit well in this game, but leaves Chris Hyde's Pegasus in real trouble, only one point off the bottom after Saturday's results.

Slimbridge team: R Chandler, J Iatalese, J Embling (G Marshall 68), A Pritchett, L Sterling, Matt Green, E Ward, R Casey, R Moore, T Callinan (N Rieger 68), S Badham.

First game up for Slimbridge in 2004 is a home game at Wisloe Road on Saturday (January 3) against a seemingly resurgent Gloucester United side, kick-off 3pm. The Hartpury College students held Slimbridge to a 2-2 draw back in September in the reverse fixture so with their improving form both sides will have plenty to prove.

On Wednesday, January 7, Slimbridge travel to Bishops Cleeve for their semi-final first leg tie in the Norman Matthews Floodlit Cup, a game that has been eagerly awaited (the second leg will be at Wisloe Road on Tuesday, February 3). Both games will kick off at 7.30pm with the winners claiming the right to play either Fairford Town or Gloucester United in the final.