Gloucester City manager Daf Williams expressed immense satisfaction following his team’s resounding 6-1 victory over Hungerford Town on Saturday, marking their largest win of the season.
Building on the momentum from their recent FA Trophy triumph against Worthing, Gloucester City was determined to replicate that winning form back in league action.
The breakthrough came in the 30th minute when Elis Watts capitalized on a well-executed set-piece, firing a precise shot from the edge of the box to give City the lead.
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Gloucester continued to dominate, doubling their advantage just before halftime. A cross found Spence, whose shot was deflected by Hanks, resulting in an own goal that put the home side firmly in control going into the break.
Early in the second half, Watts showcased his striking prowess again, curling a powerful shot from outside the box into the bottom right corner, virtually sealing the match at 3-0.
Though Hungerford’s Rhys Tyler pulled a goal back, hopes of a comeback were quickly extinguished when substitute Kane Simpson scored minutes later, restoring a three-goal margin.
Watts then completed a memorable hat-trick in the 78th minute, his shot soaring into the top right corner after a loose ball fell to him inside the box — a first-ever City hat-trick for the Welsh forward.
The scoring spree continued as Harry Pinchard’s impressive run set up Sopuruchukwu Obieri, whose effort was nodded home by Marcus Day, making it 6-1 and delighting Gloucester supporters with an early Christmas gift.
Williams praised his squad’s performance but acknowledged some moments of vulnerability, saying, “We got away with a couple of moments in the first half and became a little desperate and frustrated, but the goal settled us down.”
He also highlighted the importance of set-pieces, giving credit to Kev and Kieran Thomas — the latter returning from injury to deliver the assist for the opening goal.
“We asked the players to be ruthless, which has been something we’ve missed on a few occasions this season. Today, we took the team to the slaughter,” Williams added.
Despite conceding a goal, Williams was pleased with the outcome. Looking ahead, Gloucester City will face Taunton Town on December 27, with no scheduled fixtures on Boxing Day.
Williams noted the challenge ahead, stating, “They’ve had a management change, which makes preparation tricky, but we’ll do our best.”
Team lineups:
Gloucester City: Thompson, Jones, Roberts, O’Regan, Spence (Wildig 73), Watts, Hanks (Simpson 62), Day, Pinchard, Emmett, Baidoo (Obieri 73).
Hungerford Town: 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: 1,212