North West Counties League

Division One South

Ellesmere Rangers 1

Maine Road 6

ELLESMERE Rangers’ poor season continued with a 6-1 mauling by a club sitting above them in the league table.

They flattered briefly, taking the lead after six minutes when visiting keeper James Downhill flapped at an inswinging corner, and Manny Williams fired high into the net.

But the lead did not last long and soon the lack of quality on the ball began to damage Rangers.

Once Ben Mooney had swept in the equaliser after 14 minutes with a crisp volley from a right wing corner, the result was never in doubt.

It was no surprise when Road went in front on the half-hour mark, shortly after Rangers winger Brendan Price had gone close to retaking the lead with a lobbed shot beating Downhill, but falling a yard wide of the visitors’ near post.

Road hit back immediately and went ahead with a neat finish from Jamie Hill, rounding home keeper Liam Cains comfortably to slot into the empty net.

Scarcely had the inquests subsided when Road were further ahead through Matthew Morgan, bagging the first of his brace with a shot from distance which surprised Cains at his near post.

The interval brought little respite for the Meresiders, and it was just a case of how many Maine Road would add. Daniel Burgess bundled home after a good run down the left by Morgan who then scored the fifth himself with a shot from 30 yards beating Caines low into the right hand corner.

Finally, after Morgan had squandered a golden chance of registering a hat-trick, scooping over from five yards out, substitute Jordan Henry completed the scoring from close in with Rangers appealing vainly for offside.

Defeat sees Rangers slip to the bottom of the table as New Mills climbed above.

On Saturday Rangers travel for a league fixture against Stockport Town (3pm).