Atherton LR 1-6 Cheadle Town
As responses to previous misdemeanours go, this was perfect.
The memories of last week's horror show at Maine Road were swept away by a tide of punishing, attacking play that brought a deserved hat-trick for Rhys Clooney, a brace for Rhys Webb and one for Liam Delaney.
We were making inroads into the LR box as early as the opening minute, forcing their defence into a series of key blocks before Liam Delaney stabbed an Abreu cross just wide a couple of minutes later.
Rhys Webb then had a go straight after, shooting just wide after cutting inside from the right before another foray into the box brought the opening goal on 11 minutes; Clooney meeting a right-wing cross with a pinpoint header into the corner of the net.
Tom Russell
The two Rhys' combined on 22 minutes when Webb put Clooney through with the latter's finish just lacking the legs to take it over the line before we stretched our lead just a minute later: good work by Ruben Abreu down the right saw him cut the ball across for the waiting Liam Delaney to drive home.
LR's best chance of the first half came just before the half-hour mark when they raced clear and looked set to round Danny Whiting but a slip at a vital moment - not his fault as the surface was on a greasy side - allowed us to hoof the ball clear.
On 35 minutes we went 3-0 ahead when the two Rhys' combined once more. This time it was Clooney feeding Webb with a threaded ball to the edge of the box where the latter took his time to pick his spot and place it into the roof of the net.
An LR free-kick did give us something to think about just before half-time which we had to hastily hack clear but we looked comfortable and very good value for our 3-0 lead....
....a lead that was extended even further on 53 minutes with an absolute beauty from Rhys Webb.
Receiving the ball a good 35-40 yards out he advanced on goal but didn't look to have many options as he had three LR defenders for company. A few twists and turns later he opened up enough space for himself to curl a shot into the top corner that left the keeper stranded.
Rhys Webb curls it home for Cheadle's fourth of the match
Four became five on the hour mark. A sweeping move forward made up of one-touch passing set Rhys Clooney free on the right. With the LR keeper bearing down on him he kept his head to slide the ball wide of him into the unguarded net.
Rhys Clooney about to score our fifth...
LR got themselves on the scoresheet on 67 minutes thanks to a penalty (that Danny Whiting almost got his hands to) with them also forcing Danny into a neat save at his near post on 73 minutes.
The final ten minutes of the match saw us create multiple chances to go even further ahead, all of them falling at the feet or head of Rhys Clooney.
He stabbed a Callum Knight cross inches wide and then did the same with a header from a Joe Neild cross before he finally got his hat-trick deep into stoppage time, sweeping home a cutback from Tom Ratican.
The next round sees us travel to Sandbach United on Saturday 6th October after they administered a similar hammering to New Mills. We will be able to get a feel of Sandbach this Wednesday as they come to Park Road when the bread and butter of league matters returns.
TEAM: Whiting, Neild, Wallace, Russell (Hewitt), Dunn, Shaw, Knight, Delaney (Hincks), Webb, Clooney, Abreu (Ratican). SUBS: Hewitt, Ratican, Hincks, Morrison (gk).
Job done!
