Hammond at the double in cup tie

Saints broke the deadlock in Saturday’s tie when Charlie Kille and George Ball combined down the left for Hammond whose shot flew into the top corner of the net.

Jordan Godfrey fired over, Ryan Knight shot straight at keeper Sam Ayres and Alex Stott glanced a header wide. In between, Max Lloyd should have done better before he beat the offside trap and slotted neatly past Ali Worby on the half-hour mark.

Connor Hibbs went close with a half-volley from a corner while at the other end Knight had a couple of half chances.

After the restart, Knight forced another good save from Ayres who then superbly kept out Kille’s volley. Saints regained the lead midway through the second half when a defender’s clearing header fell to Stott whose first time half volley fizzed past Ayres and into the bottom corner of the net.

Stott nearly followed this up a minute later with a right foot volley that was just too high. But Saints sealed the game when a great break down the left involving Harry Brock, Stott and Ball ended with Kille pulling the ball back to the edge of the box where Hammond coolly side-footed past Ayres.

Ardley United beat Brimscombe & Thrupp 4-2 in Saturday’s premier division clash.

Goals from the in-form Tobias London, Troy Bryan, Conor Harris and Deon Gallacher earned Ardley all three points while Jake Parrott and Oliver Pitt replied.