DEPLETED Bashley suffered a 5-0 defeat at the hands of Sydenhams Wessex Premier rivals Baffins Milton Rovers on Saturday.

Bash were missing five key players due to holiday and injury and were no match for promoted Baffins.

It was therefore a surprise when the hosts, fortified by six of last season’s under-19s, took control from the opening whistle.

With Kabba Jack, Harry McGrath and Rae’mur Henry in forward roles, shadowed by the free-running Lewis Ross and supported by the midfield duo of Harry Cooper and Conor Whiteley, a goal looked likely.

Jack, Henry and McGrath all had chances and Cooper saw his effort fly skywards, while the move of the match saw a header by Elliot Head go wide after a sharp cross from Jack had been scissor-kicked into his path by Henry.

This purple patch lasted 30 minutes and a goal within that spell may well have changed the outcome of the game.

As it was, Rovers came to life and put the much-changed Bashley defence, marshalled by ex-under 19 captain Sam Jackson, to the sword.

They were foiled when Bash goalkeeper Mike Edgar responded athletically to nullify a point-blank shot but he could do nothing when Calvin Moses showed his class by side-stepping three defenders before slotting home.

And before the goal could be announced, Baffins were two up when George Thomas headed in a free-kick.

The second half had hardly started when the visitors went three up when Joel Jackson was gifted a goal.

The game was now virtually lost but Bashley, inspired by Jackson pushing up from defence, kept plugging away.

Bash brought on all three subs but the momentum was with the visitors who scored twice more to claim a clear, if not emphatic, victory

Bashley: Edgar, Head, Pooley, Cooper, Lucas, Jackson, Henry, Whiteley, Jack, Ross, McGrath. Used subs: Owen, Sampson, White.