FLEET TOWN gave their new manager Paul Holden plenty of food for thought as they were outclassed 4-0 at home by Walton & Hersham in the Ryman Division 1 last night.

Holden, former academy head and reserve team manager at Crystal Palace, will need all the expertise of his UEFA A coaching badge to bridge the gulf in class that divided the teams.

After watching Town blown away by goals from Lee Riddell, Scott Edgar and Carl Gibbs (2), press officer Steve Cantle confessed: "Walton completely outplayed us. They're the best side I've seen - better than AFC Wimbledon

"They're on an eight-match winning run and you can see why. We only had a couple of chances."

Former Army man Holden, 46, has had a varied football career, including a stint managing non-League Camberley Town and another coaching the Gibraltar national side. Currently he works for the Football League as youth development officer for the south-east.

Cantle said: "He lives in Bognor but is looking to relocate to the Fleet area. He's a genuine professional and this is the first time Fleet have been able to appoint someone of that calibre."

Holden will officially take the reins for Saturday's home game against Metn Police. Ian Saunders, who knows the new boss from his Army links, will revert from caretaker to assistant manager.

Bashley squeezed into the Bryco Cup third round with a 3-2 win at Division 2 outfit Witham Town last night.

But manager Geoff Butler felt the scoreline should have been more convincing ahead of Saturday's visit of Division 1 leaders AFC Wimbledon, which is expected to draw a 1,100-plus crowd to Bashley Road.

"I told the lads that where we left off tonight we'd carry into the Wimbledon game, but it was a disappointing second half by us," he said.

Apart, that is, from young James Totczyk's goal. The 16-year-old, on as a substitute for Dave Wakefield, is rated by Butler as one of the club's finest finishers. He showed precisely why when he received a square ball from top scorer Richard Gillespie and, without a hint of panic, calmly passed it into the net. "It was a finish worthy of a much more experienced player," said Butler.

Gillespie was also the architect of Bashley's first goal, pulling the ball back from the byline for Steve Strong to score in his first loan game from Salisbury.

Wakefield sent the Foresters in 2-0 up at half-time, drilling the ball in from the edge of the box after Andy Culliford's shot had been cleared off the line.

Totczyk's goal apart, there was little else to impress Butler in the second half. Bash were first caught square from goalkeeper Alan Walker-Harris's kick and later conceded from a corner.