Fownhope started their new Herefordshire Football League Premier Division season with a convincing victory away to Bartestree Reserves on Saturday.

Fownhope looked good from the off and the opening ten minutes saw them sustain some serious pressure on the home team. However, they were hit with a sucker punch. Bartestree broke away and a long ball over the top caught out the Fownhope defence, and Bartestree managed to push the ball past Fownhope goalkeeper Sam Scotford to open the scoring.

The match quickly reverted to the pre-goal pattern of Fownhope pressure and after fifteen minutes Fownhope levelled the game. Darren Minnett played a through ball to Paul Jenkins and he found the bottom corner to make it 1-1.

Minutes later Paul Bufton missed the target from 5 yards after an excellent move down the right. A cross found Bufton at the back post but he was unable to convert. However, five minutes later Jenkins struck once again. Jamie Fossell's corner found Jenkins at the back post, unmarked, and he put Fownhope 2-1 ahead.

Fownhope's third goal was a calamity for the home team. Ian Smith's long range freekick, from just inside the Fownhope half was seemingly over hit but the kick's trajectory caught out the Bartestree goalkeeper and went through his hands and into the net.

Sam Lewis then killed the game off a minute before half time. Lewis burst down the left and cut into the box before being upended by a Bartestree defender. The referee awarded a penalty and Lewis stepped up to score.

In the second half, Bartestree pulled a goal back on the hour mark after Sam Scotford failed to deal with a cross into the box.

However, Fownhope rounded off the scoring with ten minutes left. Matt Davies, on as a substitute and returning to competitive action after returning from a serious knee ligament injury, played a delightful pass from midfield, with his very first touch, to Paul Jenkins who, in turn, found Darren Minnett at the back post who passed the ball into the net.

Meanwhile, in Division Two, Fownhope Reserves beat newly formed Wye Valley FC 4-0 with goals from Ransome and Jack Tomlinson. In the second half, substitute James Titley scored two further goals. The man of the match was Vitaliy Tverdokhlib who marshalled the Fownhope defence very well.

For more stories in full please see this week's Ross Gazette.