Toolstation Western League - First Division
Chard Town 5, Malmesbury Victoria 1

SINCE Brad Miles was signed from Ilminster Town in early October he has grown quietly into an influential midfield role with the Robins, but until last Saturday he had never found the net himself, writes Rod Harrington.

In a blistering few minutes early in the game he quickly changed that statistic by blasting a fine hat-trick to earn himself the man of the match award.

Malmesbury Victoria, who have had their problems of late and are sliding down into mid-table, were never able to get back into the game.

It all began in the 11th minute, when Miles and Scott Martin played a neat exchange of passes before Miles firmly slotted the ball into the corner of the net.

In the next attack only a minute later Dave Duarte delivered a low cross, which found Miles charging forward to ram the ball past the Malmesbury keeper.

All of two minutes elapsed until the third goal, when the ball fell into the path of the Miles again and without hesitation he dispatched the ball without fuss for his hat-trick.

On 21 minutes the fourth goal arrived and Miles was the creator this time, when at the end of a forceful run he laid the ball off to Steve Friend, who rounded keeper Kevin Bridgeman to slot home.

A header from Jake Dicker was cleared off the line, before the visitors gradually eased their way back into the game.

Ryan Collins should really have reduced the arrears when it seemed easier to score.

Then just before the break Friend had done the hard work before firing wide of an open goal when slightly off balance.

In the second half the hosts continued to attack, with Dicker regularly getting forward to create chances, one of which saw an effort graze the crossbar.

Nevertheless, the Wiltshire side slowly began to threaten, and were rewarded on 60 minutes when Sam Barker thumped a fine shot past Jon Hill.

However, eight minutes later the Robins' lead was back up to four goals, as a Ryan Mason free-kick close to the halfway line found Dicker's head and looped over the groping keeper into the net.

Further goals could have come – Duarte might have had more luck with only the goalkeeper to beat, and an attempt by Friend dropped agonisingly wide of the post.

Malmesbury continued to make a game of it though and Hill had to be alert to deny Tyler Quinnell with a superb one-handed save.

The spectators enjoyed an emphatic victory, the best of the season, in a highly entertaining encounter.

What's remarkable is that the Robins were able to achieve this with a depleted squad, which is an indicator of Paul Down's astute management.

He was also able to bring on three new young signings as substitutes late in the game, who did not look out of place on the pitch.

Chard Town: Jon Hill, Shaun Wells-Burr, Ryan Mason, Andrew Holmes, Kieran Bailey, Matt Howell (Simon Cherry 80), Jake Dicker (Jake Wolfe 75), Brad Miles, Scott Martin (George Hayward 75), Steve Friend, Dave Duarte.