Ashton Prime 6-3 Punnetts Town Reserves

The Numbers continued their pre-season campaign by hosting Punnetts Town from the East Sussex League.

Prime winger Scott Walters used to play for Punnetts, and the fixture was given more spice as Walters' friend Salk Abu - another former Punnetts Town player - made his Prime debut in midfield.

He was not the only player making his Prime debut as Rob Barden filled in at left-back and Stuart Hodges joined Abu in the heart of midfield.

With Prime number 1 Lewis Kerton facing 6 weeks on the sidelines with a cracked collarbone, Scott Lower took the gloves.

Stand-in ref Sankey got the game underway and Prime were immediately on the front-foot and Flamank could have opened the scoring after 30 seconds when he interchanged passes with Excell before being denied by the keeper's legs.

But it did not take long for Prime to take the lead as Punnetts switched off from a 5th minute corner and Abu played it in short to Excell, who curled a delicious effort into the top corner - beating the keeper at the near post.

Things got even better for Prime soon after as the persistent Kneebone bicycle-kicked home at the second attempt.

The visitors started to come into the game and were knocking the ball around well. They pulled a goal back when their burly striker held of Mazurkiewicz and rolled the ball across for a simple tap-in.

With rotating subs allowed in the match, Goldsmith made his first appearance of the season up front. But Punnetts were now in the ascendancy and they levelled matters with a similar goal to their first.

But with Hodges and Abu working hard in midfield, and the back four continuing to look solid, Prime managed to get their noses back in front before the break as Abu raced clear down the left and curled a calm finish into the far corner.

In balmy conditions, Prime continued to rotate their sub at half-time, but it didn't throw the home side out of their stride and wingers Flamank, Kneebone and Walters all looked dangerous going forward.

But Prime failed to add to their tally and were made to pay as they only half-cleared a corner and the loose ball was drilled home beyond Lower.

The topsy-turvy game continued to ebb and flow and Prime were soon back in front in comical circumstances as Kneebone's long ball was flicked on by Goldsmith. There appeared to be no danger but the Punnetts centre-back mis-judged his header back and it eluded the on-rushing keeper and trickled agonisingly over the line.

Soon after Prime produced their best move of the game, flowing from left to right, ending with Rich Davis' disappointingly tame effort from just inside the box.

Captain Gilbert was forced off with a foot injury with 20 minutes to go and Goldsmith moved back to centre-back with Flamank moved back up-front.

The move paid dividends almost immediately as Flamank calmly netted his first goal for Prime, before linking up excellently with Excell 5 minutes later, for the Prime marksmen to notch his 3rd pre-season goal with an exquisite lob over the hapless keeper.

Punnetts continued to press and they hit the bar late on, but Prime battled away and kept them out.

Another excellent result for Prime, who will look to complete a successful pre-season at East Peckham against AFC Valour next weekend.

Man of the Match: Flamank - Played excellently in 3 different positions and scored his first goal.