BEWDLEY Town's second team boss Richard Downey has praised the club's "crucial continuity" after seeing several of his reserve team rookies successfully step up to the first team.
Russell Godfrey has earned rave reviews during his rare outings for the senior side and he stole the show during Bewdley's crushing 7-0 West Midlands League Premier Division win at Kington Town.
Coming on as a fifth minute substitute for ankle-injury victim Ben McCloughlin, Downey scored the first and the last goals and was a constant attacking threat.
Along with Godfrey's goals, Jamie Hart hit a hat-trick to take his tally for the season to 19, while Chris Hough and Gavin Smith completed the rout.
Bewdley were unlucky not to leave second-placed Great Wyrley with all three points in midweek.
Hough opened the scoring 15 minutes from time with Town's 88th goal of the campaign.
But they were pegged back when the Cannock side scored a fluke equaliser deep into stoppage time.
Bewdley travel to Stourbridge to take on Dudley Town in the second round of the League Cup on Saturday, kick off 2.45pm.
Reserve boss Downey was full of praise for Godfrey and his fellow second string graduates.
"I've always said if the reserves can finish mid-table and I can get two of our lads into the first team then I'll be happy," he said.
"Russell Godfrey has come on leaps and bounds and he will be one for the future while we've also had Jordan Tipper and Sam Mason involved with the firsts which is great.
"It's all about keeping that continuity between the two teams which is crucial if we're going to succeed."
Meanwhile, the rest of Downey's team did fairly well with out their promoted colleagues with the reserves beating Wyrley 2-1 thanks to a poacher's goal from leading scorer Dan Franklin and Tom Stewart's classy curler.
The reserves host Shenstone in the quarter-finals of the League Cup on Saturday, kick-off 2.45pm.
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