SCFL Division 1 action: Loxwood run riot to stun Copthorne
Copthorne were beaten 5-0 at home by Loxwood in an SCFL Division 1 match.
Another game, another harsh lesson for Copthorne as they slumped to a heavy 5–0 defeat against a rampant Loxwood side at Horsham FC on a mild January afternoon.
Loxwood arrived with intent and, after an early spell of pressure marked by a succession of corners, finally made their dominance count in the 38th minute. The Copthorne defence failed to clear their lines and Mason Saunders was on hand to fire home, giving the visitors a deserved lead.
Any hopes of a Copthorne response were extinguished four minutes after the restart. Danny White collected possession inside the opposition half and threaded a perfectly weighted through ball into the path of Saunders, who showed great composure to double Loxwood’s advantage with a clinical finish.
Copthorne struggled to cope with Loxwood’s pace and movement, and the third goal arrived in the 73rd minute. Once again White was the architect, slipping a precise pass beyond the defensive line for Mason Massey to beat the offside trap, round the goalkeeper and calmly slot into an empty net.
The visitors continued to press and were rewarded again late on. In the 88th minute, the fantastic Massey picked up the ball in the Copthorne half, twisted past two defenders and produced another assured finish to make it 4-0.
Deep into stoppage time, Massey unleashed a shot from distance which the Copthorne keeper could only parry, and deadly Saunders reacted quickest to bundle in the rebound and complete his hat-trick.
It was a ruthless display from Loxwood, who dismantled their SCFL Division 1 opponents with pace, precision and clinical finishing, while Copthorne were left searching for answers after another bruising afternoon.
Copthorne remain bottom, Loxwood are 14th.