LUDLOW Town Colts boss Scott Mackenzie admits he will have half an eye on a result elsewhere as the top four butt heads in Herefordshire League Division One.

Leaders Ludlow maintained their stranglehold on top spot last Saturday with a stunning 8-2 win at Bartestree Reserves – one of only two sides to have taken a point off them this season.

Ludlow host the other side to have thwarted their 100 per cent record this weekend as they host Wellington Colts, who held them to a 1-1 draw before Christmas.

But Mackenzie will also be intrigued to see the result between second-placed Hinton Reserves and third-placed Shobdon – a game that could determine who are Ludlow’s biggest title challengers.

Mackenzie said: “If Shobdon beat Hinton, then they are the team to be looking out for, because they have games in hand on Hinton.

“Also, we still have to play Shobdon twice and we are expecting tough games so a draw in that match on Saturday would be ideal.”

Not that Mackenzie is taking his focus off Wellington as Ludlow bid to stretch their unbeaten league season to 14 games.

He added: “We played them in atrocious conditions before Christmas, it was a real mudbath, and we will be looking to put that result right as well as looking for a good performance.”

Ludlow were without several players through injury, illness and unavailability against Bartrestree, including influential quintet Dan Crowther, Simon Bradley Charlie Gould, Jack Gittoes and Josh Chaproniere.

However, a free weekend for Ludlow’s first team in the West Midlands League meant Kieran Dovey was able to come in and he notched a quickfire brace to put Colts 2-0 up inside 20 minutes.

Bartestree were far from out of the game and Ludlow had a lucky escape when the hosts hit the post and Dean Harding cleared the follow-up off the line.

But Ludlow broke quickly and Andrew Pugh set up Dan Griffiths to net Ludlow’s third not long before half-time.

Despite torrential rain greeting the start of the second half, Ludlow stretched their lead as Dovey was fouled in the area and Jabez Smith tucked home the penalty.

From there the floodgates opened as recent signing and man of the match Bryn Martin converted a Griffiths corner to score on only his second Ludlow appearance, before Smith soon made it 6-0.

Bartestree pulled a goal back but second-half substitute Jack Marston netted Ludlow’s seventh and teed up Griffiths for his second to make it 8-1 before an injury-time consolation for the hosts.

Mackenzie added: “To tell the truth, we were expecting a lot tougher game as we had several players out. We had quite a few playmakers out more than anything.

“So we asked the first team to help us out a little bit and to be fair they leant us two players – Kieran Dovey played the first half and Jack Marston came on in the second.”