COVE 2, BADSHOT LEA 6 (Combined Counties League: Premier Div)

THE new strike partnership of Adam Nditi and Mason Saunders served Badshot Lea well as they put six goals past Cove on Tuesday.

“Our main concern is staying up, but we want to push on and get up to mid-table, where we feel we belong,” said manager Ben Dillon. “With all the games lost to the weather, it’s difficult to get any momentum and it’s very frustrating. But it’s the same for most clubs.”

After another blank day last weekend, he was consoled by the sight of his forwards dismantling bottom side Cove, whose results have been improving of late.

The Baggies scored five times without reply in the first half and some of the shooting was nothing less than spectacular.

Saunders started things on ten minutes when, after a slick one-two with new signing Nditi, he curled the ball into the top corner.

Six minutes later, Saunders’ corner picked out defender Ben Hutchings who headed home powerfully.

Then right-back Josh Pound got forward to provide a good pull-back for former Chelsea U21 player Nditi to curl his shot home from the edge of the box.

The front pair were soon slicing Cove apart again and Nditi, after beating his man, cut the ball back for Saunders to smash home.

There was no respite for Cove as Saunders turned provider and Nditi again picked his spot from the edge of the box.

Cove responded to the rocket that no doubt came their way at half-time and scored twice in the first ten minutes of the second half.

To their credit, the home side never gave up. But the Baggies regained control and a weak punched clearance fell to substitute Darren Blake who coolly lobbed in the sixth goal.

“We’ve got bags of potential, but we need a run of games,” said Ben Dillon. Badshot Lea visit Chertsey this Saturday. On Tuesday, the Baggies entertain Westfield at Shawfield Road.

Badshot Lea: Kinsella, Pound, New, Hutchings, Maylen; Palmer (Blake), Pilgrim, Blackie (Ford); Muir, Saunders, Nditi.