Toolstation Western League
First Division
Hengrove Athletic 0, Bishops Lydeard 7

BISHOPS Lydeard made a dream start to their league season, with a seven-goal destruction of Hengrove Athletic on Saturday.

The home side were relegated from the Premier Division last season, and the visitors started brightly here, with Ryan Brereton shooting just wide in the second minute.

Lydeard went in front on nine minutes, when a Sam Mockridge free-kick was headed home by George Painter.

In the 14th minute Brereton broke through and crossed from the left, Ben Hebditch sliding the ball into the net for goal number two.

The second half saw Lydeard tighten their stranglehold on the game, as Mockridge crossed from the left and Hebditch tucked it home in the 53rd minute.

On the hour mark Charlie Wilson ran onto a through ball and steered the ball past the home keeper for number four.

The fifth goal came in the 75th minute, when another cross from the left was struck home by substitute Will Hazeldine.

Brereton had a hand in setting up some of the earlier goals, and he got his name on the scoresheet at last by firing home in the 89th minute.

Hebditch completed a hat-trick with his third and Lydeard's seventh on the stroke of full-time.

This was a good all-round team effort from the Bishops, who now face Wincanton Town at home on Saturday (ko 3pm).

Premier Division side Wellington AFC did not have a match at the weekend; their first fixture is tomorrow (Tuesday, ko 7.45pm), away to Keynsham Town.

Then, on Saturday, the Tangerines go to Cribbs for an FA Cup extra preliminary round tie (ko 3pm).