Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all our readers.    District coaching restarts at OSP on Friday 3rd January (5-6pm) & Monday 6th January (6-7pm).    Saturday 4th January: GPSFA A, B & G v Bexley (Home; 11.00am, 12.15pm & 1.30pm).

Gloucester B 7-2 Newbury by Harper Seven-Scored

After the B's impressive display last week, the team was hoping to continue in a similar fashion as they hosted Newbury, a team that had the mental upper hand after their victory over the Yellows in the season’s previous fixture. The team news was good though, Gloucester receiving a welcome boost with Sallis’s return from a broken foot.

Newbury drew first blood however. Within minutes of the start Johnson picked up the ball up on the right side of the pitch and squared it into the middle where an unmarked Wallis calmly slotted his first-time shot into the opposite corner of the goal, giving the visitors an early advantage.

As has been the case throughout this season though, the scoreline did not panic the homesters and they quickly looked to rectify the situation with a couple of half chances falling to Sutherland and Weatherley. Newbury though managed to keep Gloucester at bay until some lovely footwork from Sutherland took the ball around three defenders to leave only the keeper to beat and that he did superbly. With a quick look up the striker placed the ball beyond Fowler to bring the scores level.

Gloucester started the second half brightly and quickly reaped the rewards. Sutherland picked up the ball and ran down the left side of the pitch. As always, Weatherley wasn't far away and a good pass inwards meant that he could calmly finish and give the Yellows the lead for the first time in the game.

However, the advantage did not last long, with the home team conceding a strange goal by their standards. With Newbury picking the ball up in their own half, Wallis played forwards, the ball somehow trickling its way through three players until Hurst surprisingly found himself in front of goal with no one around him. He quickly poked home to level the scores once more.

This sloppy goal saw an awakening within Gloucester and Sutherland got the ball rolling (no pun intended) when he latched onto a Williams through ball and with pace and determination pushed his way past the defenders and blasted into the opposite corner of the goal to once again give the advantage to the B team.

This was quickly followed up by the hat trick strike when Collins' ball over the top from a free kick was taken into the box by Butcher. His saved shot rebounded back to him, from where he showed great feet to get the ball back across the box to Sutherland, who was waiting to slot home and complete a brace of hat tricks in his last two games.

Newbury continued to try and pressure the Gloucester goal, but Williams turned in one of his strongest performances for some time and the assured Elliott constantly made sure that no-one passed him down the left.

Two similar goals followed for Gloucester as good combination work from Sallis and Weatherley down the right saw them lay the ball off to Sutherland, whose cross landed at Mason's feet. With one touch to set himself, Mason struck the ball home to continue his goal scoring streak. Taking advantage of the space on the right side, Sutherland again crossed the ball in to find Weatherley, who drove into the bottom corner to bag his brace.

The seventh and final goal of the game saw great play from Sutherland and Mason as they paired up to work their way down the left. A precise cross in from Mason located Butcher, whose looping header found its way over the keeper and into the far corner to end another magnificent display from Gloucester and making it 16 goals scored in the last two games.

Gloucester B: Balkwill; Knight, Pinkney, Collins, Elliott, Butcher, Williams, Weatherley, Mason, Sallis, Sutherland.