Farnham Town marked their first home game since sealing the Combined Counties Premier Division South title in style with an entertaining 5-3 win at home to Sheerwater.
Goals from Mark Waters, Charlie Postance, Adam Liddle, Dean Rule and Shamal Edwards gave Paul Johnson’s side the three points in front of a crowd of 513 at The Memorial Ground.
Town started brightly and nearly took the lead in the sixth minute when Brandon Kalu’s driven cross found Liddle at the near post and his flick was well saved by Sheerwater keeper Alfie Mickley.
Jack Dean got clear down the right two minutes later and drove a superb ball across goal, but no one was able to get on the end of it.
Town deservedly took the lead on 19 minutes. Harry Cooksley’s left-foot shot hit the far post and the rebound fell perfectly for Waters to fire into the roof of the net.
Farnham doubled their lead three minutes later when Postance was through one-on-one with Mickley and confidently smashed his right-foot finish into the roof of the net.
Town keeper Pat Nash had been a virtual spectator, but Sheerwater’s Michael Milne pulled a goal back in the 24th minute when he curled a superb left-footed effort into the top left-hand corner.
Farnham nearly restored their two-goal advantage on the half-hour mark when Kai Tanner’s clipped cross found the unmarked Liddle, but his header went over the bar.
Cooksley was next to go close with a superb free kick on 35 minutes which was well tipped behind by Mickley.
Farnham made it 3-1 in first-half stoppage time when Cooksley’s excellent through ball picked out Liddle, who calmly placed his finish into the bottom left-hand corner.
Town made a triple change at the break, with Edwards, Owen Dean and Lewis Flatman coming on for Postance, Kalu and Liddle.
Johnson’s side were quick out of the traps in the second half and extended their advantage on 51 minutes. Flatman’s close-range effort was blocked on the line and the ball fell perfectly for Rule to find the back of the net with a composed finish.
Farnham made it 5-1 in the 63rd minute when a ball over the top found Edwards, who took a touch before rifling his finish into the far corner.
Flatman nearly made it 6-1 on 77 minutes, but his low free kick was well tipped around the post by Mickley.
The visitors pulled a goal back on 88 minutes when a ball over the top found Elliott York, who lobbed the ball over Nash and into the back of the net.
Sheerwater made it 5-3 in second-half stoppage time when George Owusonye’s effort hit the post and Josh Toya-Nero smashed the rebound into an empty net.
Next up for Farnham is a home game against Fleet Town in the Combined Counties Premier Division South on Tuesday evening (7.45pm).