With some of the squad at Walsall Wood, Charlie Blakemore ran the rule over a mixture of established first teamers and some of the new boys at AFC Wulfrunians.
Last time The Scholars were at Castlecroft Stadium, it was FA Cup heartache with a penalty shoot-out defeat, so it was a positive start to take the lead inside three minutes when one of many pinpoint corners from Lawrence Heward was headed home by Darren Stride.
The game was over as a contest on the 15 minute mark when Dean Perrow coolly lobbed the home keeper with a neat finish.
Goal of the night came just short of the half hour. An awesome crossfield ball from Dean Perrow split Wulfrunians right open and Ramone Stephens added his second goal of pre-season from inside the penalty area.
Dean Perrow missed a chance he’d normally gobble up as the half went on, before Stephens with another great strike put Blakemore’s men 4-0 to the good.
Wulfrunians were made up of a mixture of triallists and first team players and by their own admission hadn’t expected such a strong Chasetown side to turn up, and, to their credit, they passed the ball well and gave Chasetown a good work out on a billiard table of a pitch.
The fifth, and as it proved, final goal came eight minutes into the second half. The impressive Alex Steadman broke the offside trap and as the Wulfrunians keeper advanced unselfish squared the ball to Perrow who finished comprehensively.
With two changes made at half-time, Blakemore rang the changes in the second, and although the goals stopped, the chances didn’t.
Gary Birch saw a free-kick strike the post and was then deprived with another free-kick pushed wide for a corner. Richard Teesdale had a goal disallowed for a foul from a corner and numerous chances came Chasetown’s way.
Wulfs did have their moments, with Sargeant forced into a low save early on.
Blakemore would have been very happy with the workout his team were given. At times the passing was impressive, as well as set pieces from Heward. Stephens would be a close run selection for man of the match with two more goals in just 45 minutes of action, but 18-year old Malachi Farquharson edged.
Chasetown: Sargeant, J Branch, Heward, Teesdale, Stride, Farquharson, Stephens, Birch, Perrow, Steadman, Sedgemore. Subs: A Westwood (for Sedgemore, HT), Langley (for Stephens, HT), Slater (for Teesdale, 58), Robinson (for Perrow, 58), D Westwood (for Farquharson, 58), Turner (for Steadman, 67).
