WELTON ROVERS 3 ALMONDSBURY 0

After their commendable draw at Ashton and Backwell on Saturday, Welton kicked off their home campaign with a breathtaking performance, which delighted the Green Army and the large crowd at West Clewes.

Welton went close straight from the kick off, when a cross from the right was met by Chris Pile and his glancing header went just wide of the target.

Welton pressurised the visitors and were rewarded in the 26th minute, when Malick Jammeh was found on the edge of the area. He twisted and turned and the defenders couldn’t touch him, as he delivered a quality cross that was met by Lewis Coleman, who drilled his effort past the keeper and into the Almondsbury net.

The visitors looked dangerous on the counter, and Harry Brock went close with an individual effort.

The second half saw Welton take the game to the visitors, and got the all important second goal on 55 minutes, when Jammeh beat the Almondsbury offside trap. As keeper Matthew Semple raced out to close him down, Jammeh calmly lobbed the keeper, and saw the ball float into the visitors net.

Minutes later, Welton thought they had a third when captain Joe Garland finished off a fine Welton move to head home from close range, only to be controversially ruled offside.

However Welton were not to be denied when Chris Pile, who had a storming match for Welton, was bundled over in the penalty area and the referee had no hesitation in awarding the spot kick.

Up stepped Charlie Babb, who made no mistake to score his second goal of the campaign.

Bob Allard