Littleton 0 Southam United 4: Oli returns to haunt Littleton

Oli Manoochehri scored twice as Southam beat Littleton 4-0.

The previous two meetings between the teams this season had produced 15 goals, so the scene was set for another high-scoring encounter.

However, neither side settled in the opening 20 minutes, with a long-range shot from Kyann Evans the only effort on target for Littleton and a Jamie Coleman strike that went well wide the best Saints could muster.

The match turned in the 23rd minute when Joss Holford produced a powerful free-kick which left keeper Josh Gandy clutching at thin air as the ball flew into the net.

Saints should have had a second three minutes later when Tom Muldoon set up Brad Rees, but the midfielder, who had an excellent match overall, missed from close range when it would have been easier to score.

Andrew Skerratt kept Saints in the match with a good save from Antonio Vernasachi, who finished off the best move of the half involving Evans and Stuart Hall.

The rain started to fall as the teams kicked off the second half and neither side could really impose themselves until Simeon Smith headed on to the bar from a corner on the hour.

Almost immediately, Vernasachi sent a shot just over the Saints goal, but that was the nearest Littleton were to come as the visitors took control.

With the rain becoming torrential and the floodlights needed to see through the gloom, Smith doubled the lead from close range after good work by Muldoon and Chris Wilson-King, before setting up substitute Manoochehri to hit a great shot past Gandy in the 79th minute.

Manoochehri got a second shortly after when Skerratt’s long ball went right through the home defence and he made no mistake from close range.

He should have got a hat-trick in the last minute but, with the whole goal to aim at, tried to squeeze the ball between Gandy and the near post, hitting the side netting.

“I was very pleased with our performance,” said Saints boss Lee Knibbs. “It was a great response from my players after a poor result.”

Tomorrow, Saints visit Woodlands in the Coventry Telegraph Challenge Cup.