Holwell fightback in vain as Stapenhill stamp their authority.

Holwell started brightly enough with Foster playing up front with Wells, Foster got in behind the home defence on 6mins with a good chance for the opener but his shot was well saved by Gough in the home goal.

This woke Stapenhill up as Hart was given a chance from the edge of the box but shot over starting a disastrous opening 16 minute spell where the visitors seemed all at sea. Campbell opened the scoring on 10mins as Holwell failed to clear after a corner, quickly followed by Hart heading in a free header nodding in an easy cross from the left two minutes later. The early punishment continued as on 16mins Neil Dawkins bent a free kick round the Holwell wall on the edge of the box which Witham just didn’t get close to.

Holwell could only try and regroup taking confidence a minute later as Foster had the ball in the net but it was ruled offside. Quickly followed by Wells bringing the best out of keeper Gough as Holwell were giving as good as the got.

But it was the home side that were dominant and the visitors were cut to ribbons as Dawkins shot over following a slick move from box to box where Holwell were chasing shadows.

Though Stapenhill dominated the first half at least the visitors had stemmed the leaks of the first twenty minutes and were actually competing well at the end of the half.

Holwell came out fighting at the start of the second half when Kieron Foster got one back for the visitors on 48mins as he headed in from a Tom Harris cross. Foster nearly scored again after a raking pass by Wells within a minute which would have given impetus to a determined fight back.

Holwell were chasing the game but striker Wells was nursing a first half facial injury limiting his input though it was brave of him to continue. The visitors certainly had their tails up Foster’s shot on the turn parried out by Gough to Tom Harris whose shot was turned away for a corner which Hibbitt headed over. Holwell trying to get back on terms as Hendy replaced Reeves to bolster the midfield.
Chapman had to replace Smith due to injury along with Hazeldine for Wells as he could no longer continue to his injury.

This affected Holwell and they looked mesmerised as Stapenhill’s substitute twisted and turned on the right of the box only to lift a cross into the middle where Hart pounced on 63mins to restore the three goal lead.

If the visitors could take anything from this match it was that they didn’t stop fighting and within a minute Foster got on the end of a low cross from Chapman to score. Then on 67mins Hibbitt scored as keeper Gough could not handle his twenty yard shot as it squirmed under him. With the score at 4-3 it looked as though Holwell could maybe salvage this as Stapenhill were rattled now but it was false hope as the home side upped their game again.

Hart’s strength and determination shown through as he scored two cheap goals on 68 and 70 mins followed by Liversage on 77mins to embarrass the visitors somewhat with a 7-3 win.

Holwell are at home on Saturday to Aylestone Park and away on Bank Holiday Monday to League leaders Barrow Town.