Football: City return to their winning formula

PHOTO/FILE

While Wanganui Athletic sunk to a defeat on Saturday, Wanganui City picked up a crucial 5-0 win in their Western Premiership fixture against North End Development down at Skoglund Park.

After a couple of weeks of poor form, culminating in the nil-all draw last weekend, City found their rhythm again and finally displayed a performance worthy of the league leaders' title.

It was a much needed return to the usual possession-based play of earlier rounds for City, as they knocked the ball about with one or two touches, keeping the North End defenders chasing them like a dog after a bone.

Before long, Jake Lockett, who earned a start at the front of the park, bagged a brace of goals, to give City the start they deserved for their improved attitudes and a healthy buffer at the halftime whistle.

The talk at the break must have been about not taking their feet off the throats of North End, as City again came out in stellar form.

Play was controlled well in the middle of the park, with Carl Bond making a return and putting in a solid shift for the match, helping City direct play, and keep North End on the defensive.

Goals soon followed for the boys in black and yellow, with captain James Satherly and Marcus Jones, who had been getting his eye in during the children's Fun Football session in the morning, both getting their names on the score sheet.

A late substitution saw Jamie Lambe back on the park, after riding the pine after the previous week's poor performance, and he stated his intention to reclaim his spot in the starting lineup as he placed a shot on goal, only to be denied by the crossbar - the keeper well beaten.

It wasn't to be the last showing from Lambe, however, as in dying throes of the match he took his opportunity well and this time found the back of the net to give City the 5-0 buffer and a much needed injection of redemption for the final rounds of the league.

"I couldn't be happier. It was a return to the style of play that saw us beat Inglewood in the Federation Cup," said happy coach Kelvin Francis.

"The boys got back to their one- and two-touch game, and took their chances well. It showed in the result, and now we're back on track."

Francis awarded his man of the match to Jake Lockett and made mention of Marcus Jones and Carl Bond as players who also contributed heavily throughout the game.

City return home this weekend to host Levin AFC, in what should be a physical and challenging match, and surely a test as to whether the blue-collar boys have truly found their form again.