Beer Albion enjoyed a comfortable 4-0 victory over bottom-of-the-table Bow at the Furzebrake, with striker Chris Long scoring all four goals, writes Richard Honnor.

Having lost their first five league matches, the Fishermen have taken 24 points from their last 12 matches and now sit ninth in the Premier League table.

A lot of the credit for this current run is down to their improving defence which has only conceded 20 goals since that poor start and they rarely looked in trouble against their struggling visitors.

Another key factor is the goal threat posed by Chris Long since he has moved from his midfield role to striker.

Early exchanges in the game were anxious and lacking in composure.

Beer were too rushed in their passing, failing to take enough touches to get the ball down and play. Nonetheless, the Fishermen had the early advantage when Long scored his first on 13 minutes.

He controlled a pass from Harwood, and created space just outside the penalty box for a crisp low strike past the Bow keeper’s left hand post.

At this stage, Bow had their best chances to get back into the game.

First, on 17 minutes, a poor clearance from Beer keeper Mark Rooke found a Bow player who crossed to the far post from the right, but Rooke made amends with a good save from the resulting header.

Two minutes later, Beer breathed a sigh of relief when a free kick from just outside the penalty box flew narrowly wide with Rooke beaten.

The visitors went close again on 28 minutes when the Fishermen’s defence failed to deal with a long throw to the near post, but the resulting shot from six yards missed the target.

Bow will have been regretting those missed opportunities a minute later when Long scored his second goal to put Beer two-up.

A great through ball from impressive centre back Andrew Foster found Long down the left channel. The Beer striker neatly cut inside the defender and slotted the ball home from 12 yards.

At last the Fishermen started to play with some fluidity but were caught on the break on 35 minutes presenting Bow with their best chance of the game. But their left winger took a heavy touch and shot straight at the Beer keeper.

Then, on 38 minutes Long narrowly missed completing his hat-trick when his well-struck left-footer was tipped over the bar by the Bow keeper.

But the Beer striker did not have to wait much longer for his hat-trick when on the stroke of half-time he scored with a brilliantly executed 25-yard free-kick which curled around the Bow defensive wall and into the right hand corner.

In the second half, the Fishermen with the luxury of a three goal cushion, dominated the play and some neat midfield interchanges involving Bartlett, Clode, Denslow and Harwood caught the eye. Bartlett almost scored from one of these moves on 56 minutes, but it was Long who sealed the result with his fourth goal on 61 minutes. He took advantage of a defensive muddle to go round the keeper and side-foot into an empty goal.

The plucky visitors battled hard to the end, but created very little as the Fishermen cruised home. Sponsor Steve Long named four-goal Chris Long as the Beer Man of the Match.

This Saturday (February 25) Beer travel to Hatherleigh for a Macron Premier League fixture hoping to extend their good run.

Meanwhile, Beer Albion Reserves entertain Feniton Reserves in a Macron League Division Five match at the Furzebrake.

Kick off is at 3pm and the match sponsor is Morgan Heating Maintenance, Beer.