ASHTON & BACKWELL 4 OLDLAND 0

The O's found themselves three goals down in little over half an hour and after sub Connor Davies had been harshly dismissed in the second half, Ashton grabbed a fourth with six minutes remaining to keep the pressure on leaders Wincanton Town.

There was an early sign of things to come when Ryan Perry tipped a fierce shot onto the crossbar on two minutes but the escape was temporary as Ashton took the lead a minute later. A ball into the box was sliced high into the air by Ashley Bernard and looped over keeper Ryan Perry and into the net.

If luck was on the home team's side for the opener, it reflected the dominance of a side brimming with confidence from a good run. Playing good football, they almost scored a second when Leon Britton's shot was parried by Perry. But again, the reprieve didn't last long as Bernard tripped an Ashton attacker in the box to concede a penalty on 27 minutes. Top scorer Ben Bament slotted home the penalty into the corner for his 15th goal of the campaign.

By now, it was all Ashton and Connor Fricker shot straight at Perry from outside of the box before Ashton made it 3-0 on 33 minutes, again with an element of fortune about it. From a disputed free kick, the ball came in for Bament to head towards goal. Perry saved, pushing the ball away but only to Adam Crooks whose shot hit Perry and went in at the near post.

Alex Sylvester and Fricker had chances before the break and it took till stoppage time if the first half before Oldland's first attempt, a volley from Ryan Ashwood that went wide.

Oldland started the second half the brighter of the two teams with Josh Williams looking a threat, hitting one effort over the bar before attempting a cheeky lob that also cleared the bar. Perry twice saved Oldland with his legs from Fricker and Bament before holding onto an impudent Bament flick at a corner.

Connor Davies replaced Williams just before the hour but was on the pitch for just six minutes before he saw a straight red for an innocuous challenge on an Ashton midfielder. The game had contained the odd ill timed tackle but with nothing really bad yet in the second half, three O's players earned yellows in fourteen minutes before Davies' dismissal. It seemed very harsh on the youngster and ended any real chance Oldland had of getting back into the game.

Jason Side headed wide from a Simon Lashley free kick but it was pretty much Oldland's last hurrah. Ashton pressed and pressed, using the slope and their man advantage well, forcing six corners in seven minutes but the O's held out. It was the 84th minute when sub Aaron Allen, wide on the right flank, lobbed Perry superbly to wrap up the scoring.