By James Naylor

Selston FC delivered a statement performance to move to the top of the Central Midlands Alliance Premier South table with a commanding 6–0 victory over Cromford & Wirksworth Town under the lights at The Parish.

Looking to respond after defeat at Melbourne just days earlier, manager Lee Stevenson made five changes to his starting line-up — and the reaction from his side was immediate and emphatic.

Selston dominated from the outset, controlling possession and carving out chances with fluid attacking play. The breakthrough came on 20 minutes when Archie Hawkins reacted quickest after Jordan Black’s free-kick was parried, calmly slotting home.

The hosts doubled their lead soon after, as Tom Batterham’s powerful effort proved too strong for the goalkeeper, before Alex “Boo” Hardman added a stunning third on 28 minutes, firing in off the crossbar from 25 yards.

Despite a forced change with England leaving the field through injury, Selston maintained their relentless tempo. Batterham grabbed his second just before half-time, finishing well from close range following excellent work from Hawkins.

At 4–0 the contest was effectively over, but Selston showed no signs of slowing. Substitute Nick Hines capitalised on a defensive error to make it five, before Ty Short completed the scoring late on with a brave diving header — celebrating in style.

Leighton Bowering produced a standout midfield performance to earn Player of the Match honours, driving his side forward throughout.

The result sees Selston climb to the summit of the table, building momentum at a crucial stage of the season ahead of a key clash with promotion rivals Borrowash Victoria.

Manager Lee Stevenson said: “That was exactly the response we were looking for. After Saturday, we challenged the lads to show a reaction, and they certainly did that tonight.

The intensity, the quality in possession, and the way we moved the ball was excellent. We were clinical as well, which is something we spoke about — turning good play into goals.

Credit to the whole squad, because the changes we made really worked and everyone contributed. Leighton was outstanding in the middle of the park and set the tone for us.

It puts us in a strong position, but we know there’s a long way to go and a big test coming this weekend. We’ll enjoy tonight and then focus straight on the next one.”

FT: Selston FC 6-0 Cromford & Wirksworth Town FC