Wantage Town paid for a nightmare first half-hour as they crashed 5-1 at Cinderford in Evo-Stik Southern LeagueDivision 1 South & West on Saturday.

The visitors found themselves 4-0 down after 30 minutes, before they consolidated and avoided a hammering.

Cinderford took the lead in the tenth minute when Josh Nelmes headed home following a corner.

Four minutes later, Nelmes again pulled away from his marker to head in the next corner.

Soon it was 3-0, when a mistake allowed Bobby Dale to run through and slot the ball past Gareth Tucker.

Cinderford made it 4-0 on the half-hour when a cross from the left found Ethan Moore, who fired home.

From the kick-off, Wantage’s Nick Thorne ran at the defence only to be brought down in the box, giving the visitors a penalty which Ben Whitehead converted to make it 4-1 at the break.

Boss Daniel Barry must have inspired them at halftime, as Wantage looked a different team after the break.

They had a chance to double their score when Rocky Whiting was brought down in the box, but this time Cinderford keeper Alex Harris saved Whitehead’s spot-kick.

But the hosts had the final say when Nick Rhodes netted in the 74th minute.

Wantage Tn: Tucker, Carbon (Roberts 83), I Lovegrove (Hulbert-Thomas 67), Cattell, Glover, Jones, Barder, Whiting, Whitehead, Thorne, Bayliss (Haist 57). Sub not used.

Swaftoe.

Attendance: 107.