Windscale bounced back from their midweek trouncing at Easington Lane to take maximum points at home with a 5-0 win over Norton and Stockton Ancients.
Windscale commenced the game in clinical mood looking sharp and eager to win the ball and dictate play.
This approach saw them take the lead as early as the 4th minute. Andrew Begbie slipped the ball through to Lewis Jolly who fired beyond Norton keeper Kieron Ezard into the bottom right hand corner.
The Atoms doubled their tally in the 10th minute from a dead ball situation. Jolly floated in a corner kick to find the head of Stephen Walker rising above everyone to nod the ball home.
Will Rooke was the next Atom to get on the scoresheet in the 24th minute. Windscale Man of the Match Ryan Gray worked the ball out of a tight area finding Ross Leeson, whose low cross turned in by Rooke to give the Atoms a 3-0 advantage at the break.
The score line flattered the hosts slightly as Norton had created some excellent scoring chances themselves all of which they failed to convert due to good handling from Atoms keeper Fin Stephenson or were wide of the target.
Reece Fretwell, who had been a doubt for the game due to sickness, was replaced by Harry Hodgson at the start of the second period and Windscale increased their advantage 13 minutes later.
Jolly slotted home his second of the game after Rooke sent him clear with a run on goal, slotting the ball into the back of the net beyond Ezard.
The final goal of the game came in the 62nd minute. After some good work in midfield, Gray carried the ball forward to release a thunderbolt of a shot into the top corner from 25 yards.
The 5-0 score line was a little harsh on Norton who never stopped working throughout the full 90 minutes but this was a definite improvement by Windscale.
However, there is still work to be done to reach the performance levels they produced in August. With no Wearside League midweek fixture scheduled this week, there is an opportunity for some players to shake of injuries and a potential return to full fitness.
The Fred Conway County Cup takes precedence on Saturday when the Atoms travel to take on Westmorland League club Braithwaite.
You can hear what manager Stephen Fawcett thought of the game below:
