FC Clacton found themselves put to the sword by league leaders Wisbech Town as the Fenmen ran out 5-1 winners at the Rush Green Bowl. Wisbech came into the game top of the league having won all four league and cup games so far this season and they took that tally to five as an impressive first half display blew away the young Seasiders.

The home team were always on the back foot from the moment Liam Nimmo gave Wisbech a fifth minute lead and despite Joe Martin scoring his first for the club late on it was a tough afternoon for the inexperienced Clacton side.

The visitors took their early lead after Joe Playle had made an excellent save but could only divert the ball into the path of Nimmo whose deflected effort found its way into the net.

If Clacton were facing an uphill task after that goal Wisbech effectively killed the game with two goals in as many minutes midway through the first half. First a cross from the right found Chris Bacon without a defender within two yards and he easily headed home to double the advantage.  Then, with Clacton still reeling, Bacon turned provider curling a ball over the Clacton defence for the impressive Callum Reed to run onto and fire an angled shot across Playle to make it three-nil.

Clacton’s cause was further dented by the loss of captain Kevin Coyle and striker Liam Whittaker with both having to be substituted during the first half.

Five minutes before half time Wisbech added their fourth as a high through ball was expertly brought down by Bacon, cushioning the ball with his head, allowing him to run through and finish low past Playle to complete an excellent first half for the visitors.

The second half was met with the start of a spectacular storm that saw the players battling the elements as much as each other as they were buffeted by a barrage of hailstorms as thunder and lightning rolled directly overhead.

However the weather seemed to do little to knock the visitors off their stride as with just five minutes of the half played a cross saw Callum Reed control the ball at the far post, cut inside his marker and fire home.

That the score remained at five was down to some dogged defending and excellent goalkeeping as Clacton valiantly battled to retain some pride. Joe Playle was called into action several times thwarting both Bacon and Reed on four occasions before Clacton finally registered an effort of note with twenty minutes remaining as Billy Wales fired a loose ball just wide.

With eighteen minutes left Clacton did, at least, score the best goal of the game, as Joe Martin timed his run into the box perfectly to meet a right wing cross with a sweet volley that whistled past Ryan Rayner, until then little more than an interested spectator, giving him no chance.

Despite Martin’s ‘consolation’ goal it is doubtful that Clacton manager Andy Taylor will have found much solace, as his young charges were given an excellent lesson on the standards required to be successful at this level. They will look to put these lessons into practice on Tuesday night as they travel to Hadleigh looking to register their first points of the season.