AFC Friendship 5 Horncastle Town 1

TOWN were never in the game over the first half, falling well below potential on a day when they really did need to compete at their best against this always-tough cup side.

The passing was way off target much of the time and somehow the real desire seemed lacking.

Friendship scored three goals before the break, which meant that Town had to do something they have rarely achieved, score three or preferably four goals inside the following 45 minutes.

The home side opened the scoring on 10 minutes when Horncastle keeper Andrew Cotton appeared to slip as the ball bounced in front of him, which left the home striker with a simple tap into the net.

Ten minutes later, Friendship doubled their lead.

Town full-back Ben Johnson hit out a clearance, the ball going diagonally across the pitch to be intercepted by the smallish but dangerous home striker.

He took the ball in his stride and moved through to place in a well-taken goal.

Town were not without the occasional half-chance, with Michael Harness doing well to make the room for himself only to miss the target.

Later there was a shot from Richard Jackson but again the opposing keeper was not made to work. Five minutes before the interval the game was virtually decided when Friendship bagged number three.

Town looked a better proposition after the interval and began to perform with more spirit and accuracy of passing.

Defender Luke Shelbourn had been forced off which meant Steve Brown moving to the back line and substitute Ollie Johnson going on into midfield.

Matt Low began to make his presence felt on the left flank and a number of decent attacking moves came along.

Having much the better of play, a goal was deserved and it came from Harness.

He was played into space down the left, moving in to lift a splendid chip shot over the outcoming keeper and into the net for his fifth goal of the season and his third in two games.

Tom Phillips went on for Jamie Lamming, and with Town still pressing it looked as if perhaps another goal might just give the contest a real edge over the latter stages.

It almost came when the home keeper made a hash of a clearance and allowed Phillips the chance to go for goal.

His lifted shot was heading for the net when a defender managed to clear from right under the crossbar, a whisker from being over the line.

The inevitable was to happen, and Friendship broke out twice in these closing stages to score two more goals, giving the final scoreline a rather fake appearance.

Horncastle Town: A Cotton; B Johnson, C Johnson, L Shelbourn, A Cooling; J Lamming, S Brown, E Rawdon, M Low; R Jackson, M Harness. Subs O Johnson, T Phillips.