THERE was an early Christmas present for M&T on Saturday - their first league win since the second weekend of the season!

M&TA didn't play their best football, and their finishing let them down, but they still the better side.

It didn't take long for M&T to get on top, but they had to wait until the half-hour mark to open the scoring. Then, a right-wing corner was only partially cleared as far as Andy Claxton. He returned the ball to the far post, and Rob

Murray emerged from a crowd of bodies to force it home. Two more goals in the next ten minutes killed off the game as a contest. First, Adam Barker put Patrick Coughlin through on the left, and he was fouled by the Vernham keeper; Claxton tucked away the resulting penalty.

The third goal arrived when Murray again showed his determination at the far post and the ball broke to Coughlin, who scored with a cheeky back-heek from four yards.

The second half was rather scrappy; Vernham's keeper was sent off for a body-check on Coughlin outside the box, but the free-kick came to nothing.

Vernham hit the post, and M&T boss Rick Kellaway reckoned that was the first time that had happened this season without a goal coming from the rebound!

A cracking consolation goal from 25 yards came too late to cause the hosts any anxiety.