HARTPURY University FC secured a commanding 4-1 victory over Hereford Pegasus in a thrilling third vs fifth clash, thanks to a dominant second-half performance that saw goals from Shyamapant, Kone, Salter, and Manning.

The match kicked off with a fast-paced start, as both teams looked to gain the upper hand. Hartpury started brightly, but it was Hereford Pegasus who struck first in just the 3rd minute. The visitors capitalised on a swift move down the flank to take an early 1-0 lead.

Despite the early setback, Hartpury quickly regrouped and began applying pressure. In the 12th minute, Louis Manning forced a strong save from the Hereford goalkeeper after a brilliant switch of play from Giles. Seven minutes later, Sol Kent tested the keeper again, cutting inside and forcing a low save.

Hartpury's persistence paid off in the 25th minute when Jenkins delivered a perfectly placed cross into the box, which was expertly guided past the keeper by Shyamapant to level the score at 1-1. Hereford Pegasus responded with a dangerous effort of their own in the 38th minute, but Sarkodie made a superb save to keep the scoreline level.

Just before the half-time whistle, Hartpury thought they had taken the lead when Shyamapant followed up Salter’s shot that struck the post, only to be flagged for offside. The teams went into the break at 1-1 after an evenly contested first half.

Hartpury emerged from the break with renewed energy and intent, quickly setting the tone for the second half. Machisa had a glorious chance in the 48th minute after a clever dinked pass from Salter, but he fired over the bar from close range.

A flurry of substitutions followed for Hartpury, with McGregor, Kone, and Osborn entering the fray as manager Sims looked to inject fresh legs into the game. The changes paid dividends as Hartpury began to dominate proceedings.

In the 71st minute, McGregor played a precise through ball to Kone, who calmly dinked the ball over the advancing keeper to give Hartpury a 2-1 lead.

Just a minute later, Manning controlled a long switch beautifully before laying it off to Salter, who dispatched a first-time strike past the Hereford goalkeeper to extend the lead to 3-1.

Hartpury continued to control the game, and Kone nearly added another assist when he played Manning through in the 83rd minute, but the Hereford keeper managed to block the shot. However, Manning was not to be denied and capped off a brilliant individual performance with a goal in the 90th minute, cutting in from the left and firing past the keeper to make it 4-1.

A superb second-half display saw Hartpury run out 4-1 winners, with a clinical showing in front of goal. Shyamapant, Kone, Salter, and Manning all got on the scoresheet, securing all three points for Hartpury.

The victory, watched by 268 spectators, was a testament to Hartpury’s resilience and quality, especially after coming from behind to win convincingly.