Chasetown notched their fourth consecutive win with their best performance of the season so far.
The Scholars started like a runner out of the blocks getting straight at the home side in what is believed to be Chasetown’s first ever competitive game on an artificial pitch.
Inside two minutes, skipper Richard Teesdale powered a header goalwards which was cleared off the line by Marcus Jackson.
Chasetown were territorially on top but it was the home side that took the lead on eight minutes. A long ball pumped forward deceived the Chasetown defence and Nathan Jackson had a straightforward chance from which he made no mistake.
There was no dropping of Chasetown heads however. They knew they had started well and were straight back at their hosts and level within 90 seconds. The cross came in from the right-hand side and squirmed its way through a shaky Romulus back four where either Nick Wellecomme or Mark Branch could have netted, but it was Branch who had the better angle to tap into an empty net.
Craig Harris’ men were set up for pacy attacks and Romulus had no answer for them. On 20 minutes, a Simon Brown cross was headed narrowly wide by Mark Branch as The Scholars resumed control of the game.
Jack Farmer, returning to the side after injury, grazed the top of the crossbar with a sensational long range shot which would have ripped a hole in the net had it been on target. Romulus keeper Lewis Exall could only stand and watch as the ball missed the target by a whisker.
Another Brown cross had the Romans in all sorts of trouble as Paul Sullivan, on his first start for the club, almost got his head on the ball six yards out.
Romulus started the second half better than they had ended the first and forced Chasetown to soak up some pressure.
Though, more and more, Chasetown’s crisp passing game regained control and they deservedly took the lead in the 64th minute. Exall and defender Robert Evans both assumed the other would clear the ball on the edge of the penalty area but Scholars striker Paul Sullivan didn’t hesitate side-footing into the gaping goal for his first goal for the club.
Chasetown lost Sullivan and midfielder Dave Bate both to injuries but sealed the three points eight minutes from time. Mark Branch’s corner was powered across goal by the head of Richard Teesdale and Greg Downes nipped in with a powerful header into the opposite corner to leave Exall stranded. Like Sullivan, it was Downes’ first goal for the first team to cap a terrific Chasetown team performance.
Romulus: Exall, R Evans (O’Callaghan, 84 mins), Facey, Folkes, Francis, Marcus Jackson, Ravenhill, Walker, N Jackson, Arshad (Morris, 53 mins), A Jackson. Subs not used: Campbell, Dodds, Robinson.
Chasetown: Price, Farmer, Matt Jackson, Slater, Bate (Saunders, 80 mins), Teesdale, Brown, Downes, Wellecomme, Sullivan (Smith, 76 mins), Branch. Subs not used: Maguire, Clarke-O’Connell, L Evans.