Last weekend's first-ever win in Lymm was impressive that's for sure - but it would count for nothing if we couldn't follow it up with another top performance here today. This was not going to be easy though as it was our old foes from Rochdale St Clements Development that were coming over to Bolton for this one and having beaten us home and away last season, we knew that they'd be coming to try and repeat that. In truth they've been struggling so far this season whereas us - well that's a different story. The boys have been on fire of late and last weekend's 3-0 win in Cheshire was our fourth clean-sheet of the season and we knew that if we could keep that going again today, we've more than enough firepower to give us a good chance of collecting another three points. We did have to switch venue late in the week - and the renovations going on at Moss Park have encroached too close to the pitch to be able to play safely - so onto the hill that they call Bolton St Catherine's Academy it was - and with the rain that had fallen in the last 24 hours, that wasn't such a bad decision after all...

As the lads made their way into the changing-rooms, the gaffer wheeled in the new addition to the squad - a mahoosive speaker - and with the tunes pumping out, the boys got themselves ready. Game faces were on and they were getting in the zone as the tape went on and the sprays and rubs were poured onto skin - and as they came out for their warm-up's, they did look up for this...

Put through their paces, there was an extra emphasis on doing our stretches properly - as we were missing Robbo for this one due to tweaking his groin at training in the week - so as the starting 11 were announced, the only change to the team that started at Lymm seven days ago saw Marcus Grundy back into the middle instead of our Robbo. Tom had played superbly last week but this shows the strength in depth we have this season as a player of the calibre of Marcus can simply slot into the system. We had a full bench this week as well - with the likes of Logan, Cam Morgado, Spencer and the returning duo of Yatesy and Rav to choose from when we needed - and as the captains went forward for the toss, it was time to get ready. We needed this. We really did...

And right from the off, we were at it. The lads were smothering the St Clements players and not giving them a second to get set and with only 2 minutes gone, we could have easily taken the lead. Ben went out to our right to launch another of his missiles and as the heads went up, it was our skippers that got to it first- only to see the ball fly agonisingly over the bar. A sign of intent though and a good start...

Some of our passing early doors was sublime - with neat 1 and 2 touch passing seeing us cut through their lines - and one such saw three passes get the ball over to Ben but he just couldn't get his shot off before their full-back managed to get in front of it. It was Ben again that saw us next chance as a good move between our midfield trio saw the ball sprayed inside their full-back and our No.12 was just leaning back slightly as he connected and the ball flew over the bar from about 25 yards out. 7 minutes gone and it could have been 3-0 already..

We were working both wings well and with the full-backs fully supporting Ben and Ste, we were looking dangerous. On 9 minutes, Liam found a bit of space in the centre-circle, looked up - and floated a glorious cross-field pass into the path of Ben - who cut inside his man before unleashing a good shot that saw their keeper get down well and gather it to his mid-drift. All these chances and lovely football were great - but we had to make this dominance count soon or it could come back to haunt us...

And on 14 minutes, it came - from the most unlikeliest of sources. The visitors had managed to force the ball out to their right and as the cross was swung in, there was our Mitch to gather it with ease. He looked up and screamed for Charlie to set off before smashing a superb kick all of 60yards to see the ball drop in front of our Charlie and he did the rest - rounding their keeper to create an angle before lobbing it over him and into the back of their net! 1-0 United! And as expected, Charlie's goal last week has well and truly buried that leak streak of late. There was more to come as well...

We were well on top at this stage of the game and all over the park, we were winning the individual battles. Their wingers couldn't get anywhere past Lewis and Nathan Bancroft and with their strikers wrapped up by Keegie and Nathan Durrans, they were not getting any sight of Mitch's goal. And on 19 minutes, we thought one of these defenders had seen us double our lead. A corner was won on our right and Alex Williams swung it in to meet Nathan Durrans' head - but he could only flick the ball just over from about 8 yards out. The ball was spending all of it's time down their end and it was looking good...

The visitors managed to get their first shot on target on 25 minutes when we switched off slightly and gave them some room through the middle - however Mitch dealt with it easily and the danger was averted. Straight down the other end we went and a corner played in by Liam fell to Marcus but he too could only fire it over from about 15 yards out. The law of averages surely meant that one of these would have to go in soon. Surely...

Our midfield were winning the battle in there and when the chances were popping up, they were playing some beautiful football to keep us ticking over. Keeping the ball, we were playing it from right to left and back again and when we moved it quickly, they just couldn't keep up with us. And on 26 minutes, Alex Williams fed a glorious pass through the channel that cut their defence in two - only to see Ben slam another one about a foot over their bar. At least he was getting into the positions and he and Ste really were giving their full-backs nightmares with their direct running...

There was no need to wait long for the next chance and this time, it resulted in us going 2-0 up. Another good move saw Ste running towards the goal and their defender did well to get it out for a throw. Across went our Ben and yet again, he rocketed the ball overhead into the six-yard box - and this time Nathan Durrans got his flick inch-perfect - as the ball slammed inside the post and crossbar before dropping over the line. A great header and as his team-mates raced to celebrate with him, the anxious look of Wayne's face was slowly subsiding. 2-0...

With the Rochdale players seemingly shell-shocked, they soon had to pick the ball out of the back of their net again because just over two minutes later, the scoreline stood at 3-0. We had worked the ball well out to Ben on the left and as he left his marker for dust, all he could do was swipe our winger out and with the United fans screaming for a free-kick, the referee quite rightly played advantage as the ball had landed at Marcus' feet - and he picked out a peach of a pass that saw Charlie in a race with their centre-half. Out came their keeper as well and as the ball was there to be won, it was our Charlie that won the battle and he stroked the ball into the empty net with ease. We were cruising but now it was about focus and concentration...

We were pinging the ball about with ease and in total control of the game now and on 39 minutes, we should have grabbed our fourth. Winning the ball once again in the middle of the park and as it dropped at Marcus' right-boot, he looked up and fired a great pass in front of Ste who once again turned his marker inside out before whipping in a delightful cross that met the head of Ben at the far stick. He headed back where it came from - literally - and we still don't know how he didn't put that in the back of the net...

That was that for goalmouth action and when the man in the middle blew for the break, it was the United fans that were the happier...

Half-time: BREIGHTMET UNITED 3-0 Rochdale St Clements Development

What could the boss say? He had told them that the first 20 minutes at Lymm last weekend was the best 20 minutes of football we'd played this season - and that full 45 had just topped that. When we played the ball quick with our one and two-touch passes, we were ripping these to pieces so if we could continue to keep possession of the ball and then have spurts when we could, then this could end up being a really good result. No changes were made and the lads were told to go back out there and do what they'd been doing...

As soon as we lined up for the re-start, it looked as though the visitors had made a change to their shape and they'd gone to a 4-3-3 to try and match us - but within two minutes of the re-start, it could have been 4-0. Another good move down our left saw Lewis cut the ball out wide to Ben and he lofted a great ball in that saw Marcus crack a volley goalbound - but it flew about a yard over the bar from the edge of the box. Good intentions again though...

We did then see the ball in the back of their net again - following a superb run from our Lewis that saw him dribble it past about four defenders before seeing the ball ricochet back into his path where he then slammed it home from about 14 yards out - only to see the Match Official blow his whistle and signal that our Lew was offside. Amazing. The referee must have been the only one that saw that but with the ball down for a free-kick, the goal was wiped off. Unlucky Mr Cook...

The Rochdale lads were seeing more of the ball in the opening 10 minutes of the second half but there were not troubling our Mitch and with the back-four marshalling anything that they were trying to muster, we really did have a grip on this game. And on 56 minutes, we grabbed our fourth. The ball was at the feet of Nathan Bancroft and he made a darting run inside that saw him evade two challenges before he looked up and slid a great ball through the gap to find Charlie clean through on goal. With the United fans holding their breath, he strode forward and BANG! - he smashed the ball past their No.1 and into the back of his net! A hat-trick for Mr Schofield and well deserved for the running and effort he had put in. 4-0...

We kept pouring forward and the pleasing thing today was that we didn't take our foot off the pedal. Usually we would get in front and then sit back a bit and allow the other team to come at us - but that was not the case here and we kept the attitude of it being '0-0' throughout - so it was no surprise when on 63 minutes, we scored our fifth goal of the game. This time is was the Rochdale lads that were attacking - but we won the ball back, gave it to Ste and he did the rest. Knocking it forward, we all knew what was coming next - as his pace saw him clear of their back-line with ease and with only their keeper to beat, our Ste did the rest by smashing the ball past him and nearly ripping the net on it's way in. 5-0 and the United fans were urging us to hit double-figures now...

The boss used this as an opportunity to give some valuable minutes to other players and on 65 minutes, we made a triple change - with the front three coming off to be replaced by Spence, Yatesy and Logan. As expected, Ste, Ben and Charlie received a rapturous applause as they left the field and it was deserved for all three of them. They had been ace out there and really had given their defence too much to do for an hour or so...

And within two minutes of coming on, we thought Yatesy had scored as he managed to wriggle his way through after yet another mid-air, cushioned back-heel pass from Marcus - but he could only poke his shot over the bar with their keeper beaten. Next up it was Liam's time to test their keeper as he met a ball that had dropped outside the box and weaving his way into a shooting position, he hit it towards the bottom corner to force their keeper into making a great save. We were still piling on the pressure and it was really good to watch...

Yatesy then saw another good effort tipped wide by their keeper - when it looked as though that where it was going anyway - but we'll always take a corner. Alex meandered over the take it and as he swung it high towards the back post, there was that man-mountain Spence to nod it back into the mixer - and there was our Marcus in the middle of the six-yard box to ram it home. 6-0 and we were in dream-land here. Oood have fooot we'd be winning by such a margin and there was still about 20 minutes to go...

We then made our last changes of the game as Nathan Bancroft and Lewis Cook were given a rest so that Rav and Cam could see some action and both were rightly praised as they left the field. Both had played superb out there and week on week, they are providing us with a great balance out wide and long may it continue...

We were not finished yet either. Not by a long shot. Because the next goal of the game was also scored by the team in blue - and this time it was a long-throw that wasn't taken by Ben. It was Logan that went across to the right to arrow his throw in and there was Yatesy getting in between their centre-halves to flick his header high and fast into the back of the net. 7-0 and as the United players rushed to congratulate the scorer, people also praised our Logan for his contribution...

The football we were playing was relentless and we really were showing how good we can be - with another great move seeing the St Clements defence do well to get it out for a corner. Once again our skipper strolled over to take it and as both sets of players lined up in anticipation, the ball came in. Right in. Into the opposite corner of the net evading everybody! A goal direct from the corner! As you can imagine, the skipper was full of beans and wanted everybody to know it - and the United players were quick to join in the celebrations. 8-0...

It was bound to happen at one stage and for two minutes, we just switched off - that led to the visitors hitting the bar from a corner on 85 minutes and then on 87 minutes, they managed to grab a consolation goal that went down like a lead-balloon with our back-four. We lost concentration for a brief second and it saw their striker with just enough time to get his shot off and a wicked deflection took it past Mitch and inside our post. It comes to something when conceding a goal at 8-0 causes so much upset - but that is exactly the mentality that winners have and that's what we want to see moving forward...

We had the last laugh though and within 85 seconds of them scoring, we notched our ninth - and final - goal of the game. More good work through our middle saw the ball fed into the feet of Marcus who looked up and slipped it inside the box and into the path of Liam - who shaped his body to curl a fantastic right-footed shot wide of their centre-half and into the far corner of their net. A great strike from our No.8 and the icing on the cake for the way we had played today. 9-1 and that was that...

The match official blew his whistle for the final time and we'd won - convincingly. The handshakes were done with pride and as both sets of players left the field, it was clear to see that this was nowhere near as good a contest as these games were last season. We were on fire and that is probably the most all-round performance we've put in EVER! Charlie was quite rightly awarded the Rapid Roofing Man of the Match for his great striker's display but in truth, each and every one of them could have been in with a shout for it today. They were all 10/10 and we need to take that forward into the next one - when we welcome Old Blackburnians to Moss Park in a massive match...

The boys were jubilant as they got back into the changing-room and the music was cranked up - albeit Barry White - and as the result started to sink in, the boys realised how good a display that had been. We deserved that today - the deluge of goals had been coming - so now we need to keep that going and do it all again in seven days' time...

A massive thanks to those of you that braved the rain to cheer us on today - but it turned out nice in the end didn't it?

Onto the next one it is then...

#OnceUnitedNeverDivided