Insall haul sees City ease past Thornbury

Jamie Insall bagged his second four-goal haul since signing for the City to comfortably see us past Thornbury Town in Saturday’s Hellenic League clash.

Pre-match, Manager Cornes made three changes to the starting line-up with Stoddart, Keightley and Reid being rested and replaced by Monteith, Sheehan and Insall. Insall was deployed on the right of the front three with number 9 Kyonn Evans used through the middle, whilst Kyle Belmonte continued in the 10 position following the Pershore fixture.

Insall looked sharp early on and could have opened the scoring after just two minutes, chipped through by Belmonte only to see his effort roll wide of the post, an early warning sign for Thornbury that they didn’t heed.

It wasn’t long after, 10 minutes in, when Insall got his first of the afternoon, player in well by Evans, his first touch taking him past the Thornbury back line into their penalty area, before smashing the ball past goalkeeper Welsh.

Insall then almost turned provider just minutes later, teeing up Gater with a far-post header that just popped over the crossbar. Gater returned the opportunity to Insall on 20 minutes after he intercepted a sloppy ball forward from the opposition and playing Jamie through with a brilliantly weighted pass. Jamie executed a similar finish to his first goal, but goalkeeper Welsh brilliantly tipped the effort onto the crossbar and out for a corner. He then again acrobatically saved a Sheehan header from the resulting corner, managing to keep the score down to one for the time being.

Midfielder Gater had to be substituted just shy of 40 minutes into the first half after receiving treatment for an injury that we hope won’t keep him out for long.

Insall’s second came from the penalty spot after good work by Gater’s replacement Thompson Brown, refusing to give up on a lose ball and a Thornbury defender ended up falling on top of the ball, but using his hand in the process, to which the referee pointed to the spot. The penalty was dispatched into the top right hand corner of the net, and City led by two.

It would get even better immediately after the restart, City hunting for the ball back and again great work by Evans, poking the ball forward for Insall himself to prod past the onrushing Welsh to complete a first half hat-trick.

Into the second half and with City controlling all areas of the game, it only took three minutes to make it four. Great and patient build-up play led to Belmonte being played in towards the by-line, and he drove the ball across the face of the size yard box, where Insall was positioned perfectly to make it four for him, and City for the afternoon. He was replaced shortly after for youth academy product James Batchelor, his work for the afternoon well and truly done to secure the points.

City continued to look for more goals with only Welsh standing in their way, first making a fantastic save from a Thompson Brown effort that he tee’d up for himself on the edge of the area, and then tipping a thunderous Belmonte drive over the bar from inside the area, probably his best save of the afternoon.

Belmonte was also denied a certain goal by Thornbury skipper Guest. After good work by substitute Hartley to win back position, he set off Lockett who delivered to the back post for Belmonte, whose volley hit the back-tracking Guest on the goal-line.

City would make it five through, Belmonte turning provider to put Lockett through on goal, and his brilliant first touch took him round Welsh and was then able to roll the ball into the back of the net, to make it five goals in his last five games, validating his August Player of the Month award this week.

Three points sees City up to third in the league, hot on the heels of both Corsham Town and Worcester Raiders in first and second, but with a game in hand over both.