Leaders Worcester Park thumped Sheerwater to go eight points clear at the top of Combined Counties League Division One on Saturday, writes Darren Talbot.

Park took the lead after just four minutes. A Gary Knowelden left foot cross to the back of the penalty area found Richard Ingham who cut back for Chad Heuston to flick in behind his standing foot past the flailing keeper.

This set the tone for the whole half with Sheerwater only getting their first shot on goal in first half injury time.

After 28 minutes it was 2-0. A deep ball into the penalty area from Steve Gardiner was pulled back by Carl Chaney, nodded on by Gary O’Leary and Heuston was there again to tap in, more conventionally this time.

Chances galore followed mostly created down the left hand side with Gardiner and Gary Knowelden constantly outwitting the tall Sheerwater defence with their mazy runs and first time crosses but unfortunately not quite finding Park players in the penalty area.

Three minutes before half-time, Park seemingly made the game safe with a third. Darren Beale stroked the ball from his half straight to Heuston in the penalty area whose header looped over the unusually small Sheerwater keeper and into the net.

The second half followed very much in the same vein. Gary O’Leary made it 4-0 on 52 minutes when a searching ball from the defence found him one on one with the keeper and he did just enough to knock it past him and into the corner of the goal.

Mick Petruzziello missed a golden opportunity to increase the score ten minutes later when left unmarked from a corner but just mistimed his jump to head over.

Three substitutions followed which upset the flow of the game slightly but not the number of chances being created. However it wasn’t until the 90th minute that substitute Kyle Green rediscovered his goalscoring touch with an excellent finish from the edge of the penalty area.

There was still time for defender Nick Drew to do an impression of Bambi on ice when through for a possible sixth and just managed to avoid being left in a crumpled heap inside the penalty area whilst failing to connect with the ball.

To their credit Sheerwater battled hard throughout the game despite the scoreline when many teams would have crumpled and surely will start climbing back up the table during the rest of the season.

Another convincing victory for Park and with Cobham, Mole Valley and Hartley Wintney all losing, the eight point lead at the top of the table looks stronger than ever.

Worcester Park: King; Drew, Beale, Gardiner; Chaney (J Dunning 62), D Knowelden, Ingham, G Knowelden (D Dunning 67); Heuston (Green 72), O’Leary.