Match report: Christchurch FC fire home six for the second week to beat Millbrook FC and move up to 10th in the Wessex League Premier Division
Christchurch continued their excellent recent form, firing home six goals for the second week in a row to climb three places and beat Millbrook 6-2 on Saturday.
Despite the lopsided scoreline, Christchurch did not have it all their way, with the scores locked together at 2-2 before a rampant away pulled away after the break.
Christchurch’s reversal in form has been marked. The side has spent much of the season floating around the relegation zone, but four wins in a row – which have come in spectacular style – has seen the side climb to 10th place.
Last week, Christchurch recorded their biggest victory in over three years – a 6-0 beating of Baffins Milton Rovers – before hitting six again against a decent Millbrook side who sit in sixth place.
With 12 minutes played, Millbrook were punished for being sloppy in possession when a slick counter and a tidy finish from Addwell Chipangura made it 1-0.
The lead did not last long, though. Three minutes later, a Callum Drake’s back post delivery found Wessex League veteran Christos Papakonstantinou, who made no mistake, and a penalty then followed 60 seconds later.
Drake was causing issues, and after a mazy run, a poor tackle left Millbrook with a spot-kick. Jamie ‘The Great’ White coolly fired past Ben Rodwell to make it 2-1.
However, with moments of the half left, Christchurch won a penalty of their own, which Fin Toghill confidently dispatched beyond former Poland U20 international goalkeeper Amad Skrzyniarz, who has played locally for AFC Totton, Lymington Town, Brockenhurst and Blackfield & Langley.
After the break, only one side looked likely to score. With four minutes of the half played, Jack Dove switched the play brilliantly, freeing Luke Sheehy, who fired home a third Christchurch goal.
A fourth soon arrived, with a little help of a deflection. The ball ballooned off a Millbrooke player, with Joe Freak reacting quickest to smash home from close range into an open net.
The match was settled as a contest in the final throes of the match when Chipangura finished off a flowing move before Nassim Meddah came off the bench to grab the game’s final goal.
Christchurch hopes to continue its run when it faces local rivals Brockenhurst. They will play at their Hurn Bridge Sports Club home on Saturday at 3pm.
Christchurch: B. Rodwell, J. Dove, L. Freak, R. Watkins, D. Elliott-Young, J. Hall, L. Sheehy, J. Fu, J. Freak, A. Chipangura, F. Tughill. Subs: B. Maniel, N. Meddah, C. Hockton, D. Neild, T. Fu.