Promising pre-season ends with Larks win

City brought their promising pre-season campaign to a close at Twerton Park this afternoon with a 3-1 win over Larkhall Athletic. Goals from Ewan Clark, Scott Wilson and Alex Fisher made it five games unbeaten ahead of the start of the 2024/25 Vanarama National League South season at Boreham Wood next Saturday.

City began the game on the front foot against the Southern League Division 1 South side and struck twice within minute to take control of the game. On 15 minutes Zac Smith set up Clark to steer the ball home from 10 yards. And a minute later a surging burst forward by Sol Wanjau-Smith saw him pull the ball back to Smith and his cross-shot was tapped into the net by Wilson. City continued to control the game with Wanjau-Smith shooting narrowly wide in the 26th minute. Smith then almost set up Wilson on 37 minutes before Latrell Humphrey-Ewers saw his well-struck free-kick turned over the bar by keeper Harvey-Larmer. The half ended with Clark firing past the post from Jack Batten’s great ball over the top.

The opening 10 minutes of the second half saw both sides strike the frame of the goal. Kieran Parselle heading Clark’s 52nd minute corner against the bar before three minutes later the visitors hit the post. On a warm afternoon the pace of the game began to understandably drop after this, although Smith clipped the top of the bar following a great run on 78 minutes. With six minutes the Larks pulled a goal back through Lambert’s neat close range finish. However, City restored their two-goal lead three minutes from time when Jordan Alves’s low free-kick was slid home by Alex Fisher.