The Clapton CFC Men’s First Team kickstarted their season with a thumping home win thanks largely to Fred Taylor. He scored four goals – with Andre Odeku scoring the other for his second in two games – to fire CCFC to a first victory of the season.
After a fairly quiet and even start, Taylor made the breakthrough on 25 minutes, nudging in from close range after a perfect cross to the back post by Jake Wintour. Odeku quickly made it two on 28 minutes, reacting quickest to a loose ball in the area and cleverly dinking it over the keeper.
Dunmow came out with renewed purpose in the second half, but the CCFC defence weathered the storm. The game appeared to be petering out for a welcome 2-0 home win but in the 88th minute debutant Korahn Gayle, on as sub, teed up Taylor to rifle home his second.
Taylor’s hat-trick arrived two minutes later, picking up a perfect pass from Azariah George-Lawal and rounding the keeper. And there was still time for Clapton’s fifth, in added time, after Wintour won the ball and threaded the ball through the Dunmow defence. Taylor raced on to the ball and pinged it into the opposite corner.
That four goal haul puts Taylor at the top of the club’s all-time goalscoring charts, leapfrogging Emily Link. The game also saw Jack Francis register a 50th clean sheet.
It also goes some way towards making up for the disappointment of the Tuesday night defeat to Basildon Town. Next up, a third home game in a row against Burnham Ramblers on Saturday.
Match highlights
Match photos
https://www.flickr.com/photos/claptoncfc/albums/72177720328133357