City literally coasted to their easiest win of the season at the Firs on Saturday and could have come away at the end with double their goals tally - the home side's defence was so embarrassingly bad in what was, for long periods, a one-sided game.

It was hard for the large City contingent in the 286 crowd to know that their opponents were last season playing in the premier division, but how times have quickly changed - this Hastings-based side are now fifth from bottom and without a home win since last year.

But full credit to City who took the game by the scruff of the neck from the kick off and could easily have been four goals up inside 10 minutes, but Mark Greatorex saw his header pushed behind for a corner, Tesfaye Bramble's goalbound shot was charged away and the unmarked Ollie Berquez headed over from close range.

The one that did count came in the fifth minutes when Ian Cambridge and Greatorex combined down the right leaving the latter with the simplest of tap-in goals after the pair had literally watlzed through the home backline.

On 16 minutes the hosts did find the City net but it was rightly ruled offside and it was not until the 30th minute keeper Paul Catley was at all troubled when he saved well from Godden.

Two minutes later though City, well in control of the game throughout, added a second perhaps a little fortuitously as Cambridge sent in a looping header over keeper Gartell from a Brian Sutton cross.

Twice more before the break both Greatorex and Berquez should have scored but somehow the home goal led a charmed life while five minutes before the interval City added their expected third when Berquez netted after his first effort had cannoned off an upright.

With the home rearguard in total disarray and their midfield and forward line all at sea, City should have scored more than three at this stage - it was that one-sided.

Nine minutes after the restart City should have had a penalty when Bramble was clattered to the ground in the area but appeals were ignored by the referee, leaving the City youngster to be helped off for the field and replaced by Nobby Yamazaki.

The second half was less inspiring and a little disappointing from a City viewpoint as they failed to live up to their earlier style of football although they remained in total charge.

St Leonards' Godden became the third home player to booked for a crude follow through on Catley but City soon swept upfield again and a great run to the byline by Shane Wardley ended with Sutton seeing his shot scrambled away for a corner.

The only surprise was that it took until the 71st minute for City to add their fourth - but it was well worth waiting for as a delightful piece of play saw Cambridge put the ball into the path of Neil Coburn who skipped through unchallenged to slide the ball low into the net past the stranded keeper Gartell.

City could have scored again but poor finishing let them down although it was overall an impressive victory on a difficult pitch and the points keep City in with the chasing pack of promotion hopefuls.

Chelmsford City: Catley; B. Girling, Reeve, J. Girling, Wardley; Greatorex, Sutton, Coburn (Newman), Berquez, Bramble (Yamazaki), Cambridge (Shirley).

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.