Farnham Town manager Paul Johnson was delighted with his side’s performance in their comprehensive 7-0 win at home to Binfield in the Isthmian League South Central Division.
Shay Brennan helped himself to five goals and Sam De St Croix scored two as Farnham ran out emphatic winners at The Memorial Ground.
“I’m really happy,” said Johnson. “We dominated from start to finish.
“I thought we passed the ball really well and it was only in the last ten minutes that it got a bit scrappy. We managed to play our football, which was really pleasing.”
Johnson was also full of praise for Brennan after his five-goal performance.
“Shay's off the mark and I’m really happy for him,” said Johnson.
“Shay put in a really good performance. I thought he was a little bit unlucky against Ashford. He made some great runs in the first half and we just didn't find him and then we had to change it in the second half and he got sacrificed.
“I stuck with him because I thought his runs in the first half justified another chance and he took it with both hands.”
Joe Jackson set up three of Farnham’s goals, and Johnson was pleased with the versatile player’s performance.
“Joe was really good,” said Johnson. “We were carrying a couple of knocks in the squad so we pushed him into midfield and he showed his versatility.
“That's his natural position and when he was playing two-touch they couldn't get near him.”
De St Croix, who joined Farnham in August, continued his good start to life at The Memorial Ground with another two goals, and Johnson is pleased with the impact he’s made.
“Sam's had a good start since coming in and he's showing his qualities now,” said Johnson.
“For his first goal he's guided it in, using the defender, and then the vision and to chip the keep from about 35 yards for the second is what he's about. It's good to see.”
Farnham regularly exploited Binfield’s high line throughout the 90 minutes, and Johnson felt his side could have scored even more goals.
“It was strange how high Binfield played,” said Johnson.
“If we're being fussy we should have had double figures with how high they played, but that's the way they played and we had to punish it. We punished it really well.”
Town had raced into a 4-0 lead by half-time, and Johnson was pleased to see his side keep pushing in the second half and add three more goals.
“The game was done at half-time but we've seen so many times how if you switch off it becomes scrappy, like it did in the last ten minutes,” said Johnson.
“The message at half-time was to raise the bar and seal the game with some good football and I thought the boys did that for 25 minutes.”
With Farnham being ahead by a wide margin early on Johnson was able to get substitutes Lewis Flatman, Liam Flanighan and Owen Dean on early in the second half and manage his squad’s minutes.
“Joe Jackson has come back from a groin injury so it was good to get him off early and get the other boys on early,” said Johnson.
One negative for Farnham from the game was a knock for Max Meaton, who was replaced by Richie Mbele in the first half, but Johnson believes it isn’t a serious injury.
“It was just a precaution,” said Johnson. “Max felt his hamstring go a little bit tight so he came off to protect that.”
The win against Binfield extended Farnham’s perfect start to their Isthmian League South Central Division campaign to six wins from their first six games, and Johnson wants his side – who lead the way at the top of the league – to keep their winning run going for as long as possible with the ultimate aim of promotion at the end of the season in mind.
“We're going to have bumps in the road but we've got to keep putting points on the board while we're in a good place,” said Johnson.
“We’re top and people have got to catch us.”