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Samba played host to Calverton MW at Burton Road with both teams trying to stop poor runs. Samba had experienced three defeats in the last four, whilst Calverton propped up the table with just a point to their name.

Samba stuck with the 3-5-2 formation from the previous week but there were a number of changes to the team, with recalls for Hawkins, Wilford and Misiuda respectively, whilst Rose returned from injury into the starting XI. Francis was given another week to rest a hamstring problem but the bench still appeared strong.

Samba started brightly going up the slope and soon had Calverton penned in their half. Wilford had an early chance when the ball was pulled back to him but he fired wide. It seemed inevitable that Samba would make an early breakthrough and this came in bizarre fashion. Gibbons spotted a deep run from midfield from the willing Brewer and attempted to pick him out with a sweeping left foot pass. The ball was over-hit for Brewer but the Calverton keeper got caught in no mans land and the ball trickled into the net for the softest of opening goals.

Calverton needed to get a foothold in the game and to their credit they started to become more of a threat, with young quick legs stretching the Samba back line at times. Nicholls did not have a great deal to do and the sum of his endeavours was parrying a well hit shot from the Calverton front man.

At the other end Wilford had another opportunity from close range which was blocked and Samba looked capable of adding to their tally at any point. When the second goal came it started with a Calverton attack, saw two forward passes by Bassett and Rose, and ended with G.Taylor pressurising the centre half into submission, before finishing calmly for an impressive 11th goal of the season.

The two goal cushion settled Samba down and they looked comfortable for the remainder of the half. They extended their lead to three goals shortly after and again there was dubious defending involved. Another raking pass from Gibbons saw Rose gamble coming in from the left. Hesitation killed the Calverton defence and Rose profited by nipping in for this second of the campaign.

Half Time: FC Samba 3 v 0 Calverton MW

Samba started the second half save in the knowledge that bar a disaster, their losing streak was over but in true Samba fashion, there was an element of sloppiness in their play at the start of the half. This allowed Calverton a route back into the match, when they got a goal back from a free header inside the 6yd box. The initial corner was defended but as the cross was returned into the penalty box, the tall Calverton defender drifted from near post to the centre of the goal and planted his header just under the crossbar.

At this point there was just a hint that Calverton could make an unlikely comeback. McDonald made three changes in quick succession with Hill, Whyatt and Street entering the fray for Brewer, Hawkins and Misiuda respectively.

Samba made the game safe when they got a fourth goal from an unlikely source. The referee had awarded a free kick on the edge of the box and Wilkinson had been nominated for duty. It is fair to say that the centre half is not known for his dead ball prowess but he duly converted from 20yds into the bottom left hand corner. In all fairness the wall was poorly positioned and it was hardly a rocket, but the big man took the plaudits all the same.

Samba added a fifth when Gibbons crossed for C.Taylor who slid the ball in from close range and when Street scored the sixth from a G.Taylor cross, it completed half a dozen different scorers for the Sandboys and a comfortable afternoon’s work.