LITTLE Oakley and their fans travelled to their first away game of the Essex Senior League campaign and came away with a 5-1 win at Sawbridgeworth Town, writes LAURENCE DOBKIN.

Little Oakley boss Matt Carmichael said: "I didn't feel today's performance was at the quite at the level we had reached in the two previous game but we very clinical.

"Hopefully we will continuing to improve and this win will be the start of a good run, giving the team confidence."

Both teams were in need of a win after defeats in previous games.

Acorns manager Carmichael changed his formation with the inclusion of Farthing at centre-half and Dobkin and Harman holding midfielders.

A good move from Sawbridgeworth saw the ball move across the back four into midfield with Daniel Bolden trying to feed a ball through the centre of the Oakley defence.

This was quickly stopped with a athletic interception by Dobkin who then sprayed the ball to the wing where Mayhew was in full flight and took on the defender.

The ball bounced off the defender for a Oakley corner. A corner was crossed in but well defended by Fred Griffiths.

Sawbridgeworth then went onto the attack on the left hand side.

With some good exchanges of passes the ball found Hall who shot wide.

Oakley were having the best of the possession and in the tenth minute a ball played into the box was fumbled by Toby Smith which fell into the path of Lewis Wood who drove the ball home.

Oakley were now in the ascendency and committed to attack.

A sharp move down the wing produced a driven across into the box which had several Sawbridgeworth players scrambling to try and get a connection on the ball but only finding Harman at full pace to strike a sweet drive into the bottom corner of the net making it 2-0.

With half time fast approaching and Oakley seeming in control and long ball from Sawbridgeworth was headed out for a corner.

The corner was crossed in which hit the post and re-banded to Morgan Arnold who fired home to make it 2-1 at half-time.

The first encounters of the second half saw Oakley go close with a wood header and a Mann header both going wide.

Oakley continued to move forward and after 51 minutes the ball was passed into Garrad who controlled the ball with a defender tight to his back, lifted the ball over the defender's head and calmly slotted the ball passed the keeper.

Oakley were in control and mounted further attacks when they ball was crossed into the Sawbridgeworth box and partially cleared to Mann who angled his body allowing him to bend the ball around the keeper to make it 4-1.

The final action of the half was Oakley at their best.

A long passing move proceeded to the wing with Mann putting a pinpoint cross to Mayhew, who bent his body getting a backward flick onto the ball and into the net to wrap up victory.

Little Oakley host Hertford Town FC in the FA Cup preliminary round on Saturday, kick-off 3pm.