Gloucester City manager Daf Williams praised his team’s exceptional performance after delivering their biggest win of the season with an emphatic 6-1 victory over Hungerford Town on Saturday.
Fresh off their FA Trophy triumph against Worthing the previous weekend, City aimed to carry their momentum back into league action—and they did so emphatically. The hosts took the lead in the 30th minute when Elis Watts expertly finished from a set-piece, capitalizing on space just outside the box.
Gloucester maintained control throughout the half, doubling their advantage in the 44th minute. A well-delivered cross found Spence whose effort was deflected by Hanks, leaving the visitors reeling as City went into halftime comfortably ahead.
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Early in the second half, Watts struck again, curling a precise shot into the bottom right corner just four minutes after the restart, virtually sealing the victory. Hungerford managed a consolation goal through Rhys Tyler, but Gloucester quickly restored their three-goal lead when substitute Kane Simpson scored on the 65th minute.
The star of the day was undoubtedly Elis Watts, who completed his first career hat-trick for City in the 78th minute, firing a stunning shot into the top right corner to make it 5-1. Creeping further ahead, Gloucester added a sixth goal courtesy of Marcus Day, who tapped in following an incisive run and assist from Harry Pinchard and Sopuruchukwu Obieri respectively, to delight the home fans with an early Christmas gift.
Williams was full of praise post-match: “I’m really pleased. We had a couple of nervy moments early on, but the first goal settled us down. Credit to Kev and Kieran Thomas for that set-piece—it’s great to see Kieran back after a couple of months out."
He added, “We went into the break strongly and told the players to be ruthless, which has been lacking at times this season. Although we were disappointed not to keep a clean sheet, the result and performance were what we needed.”
Looking ahead, City will face Taunton Town on December 27, following a break with no Boxing Day fixture. “The focus doesn’t change. The lads and staff are working hard, and we will prepare as usual for a tough match despite Taunton’s recent managerial changes,” Williams said.
Gloucester City lineup: Thompson, Jones, Roberts, O’Regan, Spence (Wildig 73), Watts, Hanks (Simpson 62), Day, Pinchard, Emmett, Baidoo (Obieri 73).
Hungerford Town lineup: Cairney, Medford-Smith (De-Long 83), Rose, Kotwica (McDonagh 64), Hooper, Williams (Conteh 64), Duffus, McGrory (Smith 62), Burton, Shepherd (Bowdery 73), Tyler.
Referee: Paul Collier
Attendance: 1212