Ashton Prime 5-0 Dowgate

Prime went into their fixture with the Tonbridge based outfit in confident mood following their last outing at Bayham.

Latter returned in goal with Mazurkiewicz and Jamie Barker bolstering the defence. It was a completely different midfield four with Kneebone and Walters flanking Goldsmith and Mellors. Up front Carl Barker replaced Webb with Skovborg-Hansen absent.

Prime started on the front foot with Barker and Excell linking up well. They took a deserved lead after 15 minutes when a swift break left Barker in a dangerous position, with Walters supporting well. Barker's first effort was blocked but he coolly curled in beyond the keeper at the second time of asking.

Prime carried on taking the game to the visitors and with the back four looking solid and Goldsmith and Mellors controlling midfield, Dowgate could only manage sporadic forays forward.

A mix-up between Garside and Latter almost gifted the visitors an equaliser, but the Dowgate striker put his shot way over the bar.

Dowgate started the second half on the front foot - assisted by the slope - and forced a sequence of corners, but Prime crucially held firm with some excellent marking and good safe hands from keeper Latter.

Their reward was a second goal on the break when Kneebone charged down the keeper's clearance and the rebound trickled towards goal. Barker was on hand to tap home to double Prime's lead.

Dowgate heads visibly dropped and Prime began to exert their dominance on the game again. There was a flashpoint on the hour mark when Goldsmith was cynically hacked down and he reacted by pushing his opponent to the floor before being rightly restrained by his team-mates.

Goldsmith entered the book and in the melee, Kneebone was also cautioned.

But moments later Prime crucially got the third goal. A free-kick was half-cleared but it fell to Goldsmith on the edge of the box. He took it down on his chest before lofting a dangerous ball back into the box and the on-rushing Excell finished expertly on the volley.

Dowgate's dangerman Sam Moon was growing increasingly frustrated as Garside and Jamie Barker continued to keep the back-door securely locked.

Prime's fourth goal summed up the visitor's afternoon as Carl Barker completed his hat-trick with the aid of a mistake from the keeper who tried to make up for spilling his cross-shot, but only succeeded in pushing the ball over the line.

The excellent Barnham made way for Ellis as he made a welcome return, and Sturmey was given a run replacing Walters who played his best game in a Prime shirt.

The fifth goal was arguably the best. Ellis played the ball across the half-way line to Goldsmith who shrugged off a tackle before feeding Mazurkiewicz. The full-back surged down the right before sliding a perfect ball into the feet of Kneebone who beat the keeper easily at his near post.

Prime kept their focus for the full 90 minutes, giving Latter a clean sheet and sending The Numbers into the top 3 in the table.

Man of the Match: Carl Barker - Hat-trick hero