RBBFC Firsts consolidated a strong league position and an increasingly credible promotion bid as they registered their second big win in as many games against a mediocre Coin Du Balai side at Everberg.

After a weekend off, British were looking to return straight to the form that saw them crush Centre FC 6-0 away a fortnight before. And they took a big step to doing just that as - not for the first time this season - the Ones grabbed an opener just a couple of minutes into the game. The flying start came courtesy of a Van der Vinne tap-in after some poor defending from the away team.

British always looked in control for the rest of the half, despite the frustration of not being able to impose themselves on the game quite like they had done against Centre. It took a quick couple of goals just before the break to confirm the home team’s superiority. First left-back Binning - latching on to a smart through-ball from McGivern - tucked away a tidy finish just inside the far post.

Then Van der Vinne - set up by an inspired curling pass from the outside of McGrath’s right boot - effectively finished the game as a contest as he confidently rounded the keeper for his second of the game. The burly Dutchman made way for Smitheringale in the second half, but his substitution did not stop him later claiming a deserved Man of the Match award.

Coin Du Balai rarely threatened after the interval and, apart from the odd lapse of concentration from the home team, hardly had a sniff of the RBBFC goal with Anderson and Guarnaccia marshalling the defence. It was the otherwise solid home goalie Drury who created what was probably Coin’s best chance of the match, when his mis-hit clearance resulted in a feeble attempted lob being hit straight back to him right on the edge of the box.

The only other scare came as a penalty claim was waved away after the diving Guarnaccia bravely put his face in the way of a dangerous centre – the Italian later insistent that his hands had gone nowhere near the ball and had in fact been protecting an important part of his anatomy.

The real question was how many RBBFC would manage to score, as the visitors began to wilt under wave after wave of British attacking. The front six of McGrath, Skoniezki, Legere, McGivern, Hodgson and Smitheringale, and even members of the back four, saw a golden opportunity to add to their season’s goal tally. But a string of chances went begging. One of the best fell to skipper Christmas, marauding forward from right-back only to be denied at close range after a fine passing move.

McGrath finally added the fourth, nodding in at the back post from a looping cross from midfield general Skoniezki. And when the lively Hodgson fired in from inside the box late in the game, the rout was complete - sending another signal to the rest of the division that an improving RBBFC mean business this season.

MOM: Seb Van der Vinne

Reporter : James Binning