THERE were goals galore for Blaenavon Blues and Goytre FC in the Ardal South East League on Saturday, with 12-1 and 5-0 wins respectively.
Blues absolutely demolished basement boys Hay St Mary’s at the Memorial Ground, with new signing from Goytre - - league Golden Boot holder Chris Ham - firing an incredible six on his debut, and Matt Burns also bagging a hat-trick.
Not that Ham’s departure seems to have derailed his high-flying former Plough Road outfit, as they walloped Chepstow Town at Larkfield Road, with all five goals coming in a lop-sided second half.
Ham’s record in the league is unsurpassed though, firing 85 goals in 84 games for Goytre since the start of the 2021 season, and now launching his time at the Blues with half a dozen on debut.
His move to the Blues last week came out of the blue, but he didn’t forget to pack his scoring boots, firing home their second on 12 minutes following a third-minute opener.
Two minutes later it was 3-0, but a Greg Preece goal for Hay two minutes after that gave the visitors some hope after a breathless opening.
But after Ham added his second for 4-1 with just 28 minutes on the clock, it was one-way traffic from then on as Blues simply overran their Mid Wales opponents.
The fifth came on 33 minutes, before Ham grabbed his hat-trick three minutes before the break, followed a minute later by one for Kallem Berry, making it 7-1 at half-time.
And there was no let up after the break with Ham blasting a second hat-trick in the space of 17 minutes, on 54, 56 and 71 minutes, for 10-1, with two more goals on 77 and 83 minutes seeing Burns grab his hat-trick, the other two scorers on the day Jude Bull and Jake Bull.
For Goytre, Chris Hartland opened the scoring against Chepstow on 57 minutes, followed by a second for Aron Davies five minutes later, with Mitchell Page adding a third on 70 minutes.
The Jockeys were now well and truly out of the saddle, and further goals from Josh Graham on 76 minutes and Isaac Wigley three minutes from time left them totally unseated.
The result leaves the Penperlleni outfit third on goal difference behind second-placed Caldicot Town, and five points behind league leaders Trethomas Bluebirds who have two games in hand and visit Plough Road this Friday night (October 27).
Blues, who started the season with five straight defeats, move up to 11th with four wins and seven losses, and travel to Caldicot on Saturday afternoon (October 28).
Abergavenny Town’s Friday night (October 20) JD Cymru South match at Port Talbot outfit Goytre AFC was postponed, giving them some time to try and regroup, with just the one win on the board to date and sitting bottom.
They play fellow strugglers Taffs Well at home under the lights this Friday (October 27) and will be hoping they can finally kick-start their season.
Their 2nds lost out 4-2 at home to Cwmbran Celtic on Saturday in the FAW Reserves South East League, Alex Caswell and Keane Flage-Donovan their scorers, a result which leaves them third from bottom.