TENBURY United extended their impressive run with a 5-1 win at home to Leominster Town in the Premier Division of the Herefordshire League.

It was a third straight victory for the Palmers Meadow side and with trips to struggling Orleton and Hereford Lads Club Reserves to come before the end of the month, they could still be among the clubs vying for a top three spot at the end of the season.

Joint manager Nick Stocker was also delighted with the turnout on a day when all the remaining games in the top two divisions were postponed due to waterlogged pitches.

“For the first time this season we had everyone available so 19 to choose from,” he admitted. “It can be difficult to tell people that they’re not even on the bench but I’ll never grumble particularly when so many sides struggle to get a starting 11.

“I made changes during the game to get as many players involved as possible and that knocked us off our stride for a while and they came back into the match at 2-1.

“But we scored a third with 20 minutes to go and that killed them off really.”

Toby Gittens started his first game up front for United and was rewarded with the opening goal after 15 minutes following good work out wide from Chris Patton.

Stocker added: “Toby started the season with Tenbury Town but gave football up for a while. He’s a good mate of Mark Boucker but they play in a similar position so we’ve been playing him in central midfield.

“We decided to give Mark a rest on Saturday so it was Toby’s first game up front and he did really well.”

Tenbury continued to create chances and Aaron Morris headed against the bar before Mike Foster doubled the lead.

But the visitors reduced the arrears and with Stocker making five changes on the half-hour, it was Leominster who finished the half the stronger.

The game could have gone either way until Foster netted his second with Jordan Morris adding an excellent fourth before substitute Boucker wrapped things up following more good work from Patton.

Foster and Patton will miss this weekend’s derby clash at Orelton Colts but Stocker is still hopeful that his sixth-placed side can keep their current good run going.

“We have games in hand on some of the other clubs up there and, apart from Westfields Reserves, all our remaining games are against teams below us in the table,” the manager added.

“I still think we can make it into the top three because a lot of the sides at the top have to play each other so some of them are going to drop points.

“It’s a shame because we’ve lost some silly games. Winning those would have meant things would have been in our own hands.”