North Gloucester League Premier Division
Soudley 5. Ellwood Reserves 1
CRACKERS were pulled and Christmas cards swapped before the kick-off but that's as far as the goodwill went as Soudley overpowered Ellwood and won comfortably.
Victory put the Valley team up two places, though they are still a point behind Ellwood in a comfortable mid-table position.
The visitors turned out a young team and they stuck bravely to their task. They were only a goal down at half-time but the more experienced Soudley team increasingly turned the screw in the second period and won with something to spare.
Winger Mark Tyler scored first for Soudley and netted again early in the second-half as Ellwood found themselves under heavy pressure.
Gareth Stephens, Danny Bullock and Steve Hill scored Soudley's others while Mark Weyman replied for Ellwood.
It was the young players who stole the show and Gareth Stephens – son of Soudley's player-manager Martin Stephens – was named man-of-the-match. He pipped Ellwood's Yusef Hental.