The top side in the division travelled to the bottom side looking to maintain their 100% start to the season and duly delivered after some patient work in the opening exchanges.
The pitch was a touch bobbly particularly in the goal mouths but flat enough, and a good time to play on it after some decent weather. The Accies looked to get the ball down and play and bossed the early stages with some good attacking football. Swifty had a snap shot in the box after good work from Big Si and Jamie struck a sweet long ranger that flew wide of the left hand post. All Denaby offered was a long ball over the top from the defence which Reedy and Batts gobbled up every time and played out to either Tony or Stan to progress up the wings. Hodgy was getting plenty of the ball and getting stuck in nice and early and won a couple of early corners. Jamie and Dan did their short corner with the latter turning back in and narrowly missing the far corner with a curling effort. A curling shot from distance from Dan took a deflection but no corner given and Daz also had a snap shot that the keeper gathered at the second attempt. Big Si saw a header fly narrowly over the top corner but surely the goal was soon coming.
And sure enough it duly arrived. Dan drove over a corner which found Reedy at the back post who headed it back into the mixer for Daz who nodded it down for Swifty to swivel and volley in a lovely finish to make it 1-0. It felt like the flood gates would open as Denaby trudged back to take the kick-off. Within a few minutes it was 2-0 as Stan and Dan worked the left channel, Dan turned in and found Jamie who took one touch then stroked a sweet left foot finish from outside the box across the keeper and into the far bottom corner. Moments later and Daz hassled their keeper into a fluffed clearance which Swifty nodded back toward the empty net but it bobbled back off the post and into the keepers arms. It was all Academicals now. Tony tidied up everything that came near him and Batts was getting forward to support the midfield really well.
Another charge up the left from Stan led to a throw-in which Jamie touched back to Stan, he drifted past his man and struck a low cross-shot from a really tight angle which nestled in the bottom corner. Probably did the keeper with his eyes! Daz had a goal disallowed as Dan pulled it back for him for an offside that never was but the half came to a conclusion with the home side failing to register a shot on target.
Half time Denaby 0 – 3 Accies
The second half continued much the same as the first with the Accies attacking at will. Jamie struck a shot narrowly over after Daz had laid it back to him, moments later Swifty turned neatly but the defender got a desperate block in as he was shooting. Hodgy put a great ball in which Swifty toed narrowly wide. The ball went into the Accies box once only as the ball bounced down and wide with Godders blinded by the sun having a slight panic as it dropped harmlessly for a corner. The sun was the only thing Denaby had going in their favour but the back line dealt with it superbly to a man.
Brian came on for Swifty and Tony made way for Ryan at full back. The Accies embarked on the move of the game. Reedy mopped up a long ball and fed Jamie inside who found Stan on the left, he played a one-two with Dan and advanced into the box, pulling it back for Brian who played a lovely first-time touch for Dan who slid it into the net at the near post. Great flowing move! A few minutes later Jamie put Daz away and the covering defender intercepted and played a woefully short pass back which Daz ran onto and swept home a confident finish to make it 5-0.
From the re-start their midfielder had a shot from the centre circle which Godders caught apologetically; the home side saying “at least we’ve had a shot on target”. Big Si made way for Whitey and the onslaught continued. Stan scooped a shot onto the bar and Whitey turned superbly in the box and struck the bar again with a left foot effort. Hodgy continued to torment their left back and put in another great ball for Dan who laid it off for Daz but it wouldn’t quite fall right. Hodgy capped off a superb display with a great finish with a few minutes left; after good work from Brian Hodgy smacked it into the far top corner from just inside the box. The rout was complete and the home side had no complaints.
Full time Denaby 0 - 6 Academicals
