LUDLOW Town Colts are certainties for the Herefordshire League Division One title, insists Orleton boss Mark Hollis after watching his side blown away by the leaders in last weekend’s derby.

Orleton sat third before Saturday’s game but had no answer to the Colts’ firepower as they were beaten 5-1.

Second-placed Hinton’s win means Ludlow’s cushion at the top is still only two points but they have four games in hand and Hollis believes Colts are champions-in-waiting.

Hollis said: “They are a very good side and they will take some stopping. From our point of view, it was disappointing because I expected it to be a lot closer.”

It could have been different had Orleton’s Chris Breakwell not been denied by a goal-line clearance inside a minute but 17-year-old Jack Gittoes put Ludlow ahead soon after.

Jabez Smith doubled the lead and, after Simon Bradley hit the bar, Josh Chaproniere tucked home the rebound to make it 3-0.

Bradley scored a stunner from the halfway line right from the second-half kick-off and Chaproniere netted his second to make it 5-0 before Jake Conod’s consolation for Orleton.

Hollis added: “It could have been a different story if we had scored in the first minute but we didn’t turn up, we were absolutely terrible.

“To beat Ludlow, you have to be at the top of your game.”

Colts boss Scott Mackenzie said: “We had a shaky first couple of minutes but then we scored and from that moment we never looked like losing.

“It was one of our best performances of the season but there are 12 games still to play.

“We want to treat every game as a cup final because we know every team will want to take our unbeaten record.”

Elsewhere, in the Herefordshire Premier, Tenbury United were rewarded for their best result of the season – a 3-1 win at third-placed Ledbury – with six points!

Joint boss Aaron Morris explained: “We were given three points because Kington fielded an ineligible player against us recently – it’s the first time I’ve played a game and got six points!”

That haul has lifted United to seventh with a Ryan Morris hat-trick downing Ledbury.

The joint-boss added: “It looks a lot better season now from the table, we are six undefeated and if we can win three or four on the trot, we could be in the mix for fourth or fifth place.”

They host Malvern Vale in the Worcester Cup quarter-finals this Saturday, with Morris admitting: “This is the biggest game for us now, it’s our last chance of silverware.

“We won this cup two years ago and it would be nice to get to the final again.”

Tenbury Town remain bottom of the Herefordshire Premier, five points adrift after a 2-1 home defeat to Kingstone Rovers.