The Muddogs entertained near neighbours Haverhill Rovers in their first league game of the new season. Playing in a strong breeze the Muddogs made full advantage of playing with the wind in their favour in the first half by racing in to a four goal lead. Some great all round play by the lads with plenty of passing and movement entertaining the sizeable home crowd along the way. Mercer put Bardfield in front on ten minutes when a turn and lofted ball in to the area outwitted the opposition keeper in the breeze and the ball dropped in to the net. Some great work in midfield by Forbes feeding the ball through to Major on the left whos fine cross in to the centre was bundled over by Fairhurst to make it two. It was soon coverted to three when a long ball down the wing from the home defence was being shielded out of play by the Haverhill defender but with the ball slowing a hastily arrinving Deller pressurising the defender in to a lapse and a badly mis-timed pass enable him to feed the ball in to the path of Mercer to make 3-0. Within monents the score had increased when the hard working Major with yet another cross in to Fairhurst who found Potter to shoot past the keeper.

 

It took the Muddogs a time to get acclimatised to playing against the wind in the second half but there was no shortage in the number of chances made.With Clarke-Holland's shot which hit th post,two or three goalmouth scrambles,efforts from Major and Fairhurst the Haverhill defence was kept very busy and to be fair making a couple of good half chances theirselves. All in all a good start to the new season and a clean sheet for Thompson making his debut in the Muddogs goal. The result was rounded off when Potter popped in his second and the Muddogs fifth late in the second half.