Abingdon United 3 Slimbridge 0

LATE arriving players, three red carded, the manager resigning and another star player likely to be off to big spending Mangotsfield United. Oh, and a 3-0 hiding to boot. All of these events will probably ensure that Saturday's match is one of those that will be remembered for a very long time.

The tall, rangy Richard Pierson grabbed all three first half goals in a truly abysmal first half showing from the visitors. The real drama, though, was saved for the final stages of the match and afterwards.

Three Slimbridge players were red carded on 86 minutes following a red card to the home side's Chris Hooper for a horrendous tackle on Fred Ward, further inflamed by a kick in the back to the prostrate player. After a melee, Leon Sterling and Ashley Thomas were despatched and then, before play was restarted, Julian Freeman was cautioned for verbal abuse and then given a straight red for further gesticulation.

This was a sad end to what had been another frustrating afternoon for Slimbridge, who had enjoyed the better of the second half up to that point of conflict.

Manager Doug Gray was forced to re-jig the Slimbridge line up due to players being caught up in road diversions and even a pro-hunting demonstration on the way to Abingdon and if this was a bad omen, it was further confirmed when United took the lead after only three minutes. A free kick from the right by Matty Shelton was crisply headed in at the near post by Pierson.

Slimbridge then spurned a couple of good chances to draw level when, first, Rich Moore got behind the United defence only to be denied by goalkeeper Carl Wilkins and then a poor clearance from the latter fell to Freeman, who scuffed a 20-yard effort wide of the unguarded net.

On 14 minutes United doubled their lead when Ryan Chandler was beaten to a long hanging cross and Pierson nodded in. Play then went from end to end without any real chances until a killer blow for Slimbridge came a minute before the break. Pierson completed his hat-trick by galloping free up the right and comfortably drawing Chandler before slotting home.

A new urgency was found in the second half with the almost immediate introduction of Mike Symons, James Ackland and Tom Radcliffe, with the best chances falling for the visitors, Moore twice going close in a five minute mid-half burst.

The game was drawing to a close in a seemingly non aggressive way with United perhaps sitting a bit on their 3-0 lead when the flash of madness from Hooper escalated into a quite unnecessary fiasco, that brought frustration from both sides to the boil, and over. A sorry day indeed for both clubs, it has to be said.

For now, following Gray's resignation, caretaker manger John Evans will have the difficult task of pulling the team on track with the added problem of potentially losing Rich Moore to Mangotsfield, the second Slimbridge player likely to be heading in that direction after Ross Casey left last month.

This is undoubtedly a difficult time for Slimbridge but one that the club will find testing, both on and off the field of play.

Slimbridge: R Chandler, L Sterling, J Embling (J Ackland 45), A Pritchett, A Thomas, R Moore, E Ward, Mike Green (T Radcliffe 55), J Freeman, C Cole, A Philp (M Symons 45).

L John Evans will have his first opportunity to impress when Slimbridge host Pewsey Vale at Wisloe Road tomorrow (3pm). It was Pewsey who spoiled Slimbridge's good start to the season, inflicting a 1-0 reverse fixture defeat back in September after Slimbridge had got their season off to a flying start with eight successive wins. How times can change in football!