SHRIVENHAM put a smile back on the face of manager Michael McNally as they swept aside East Hendred in the Bucks and Berks Intermediate Cup on Saturday.

The Barrington Park boss was scathing in his assessment of his team’s efforts when they were thrashed 6-1 by Workingham & Emmbrook in the FA Vase on October 3 but seven days later, McNally’s troops romped to a 5-0 second round win over their North Berks League opponents.

Kias Bonner-Shea netted a brace whilst Andy Bilko, Daryl Harris and Liam Hayden were all also on the scoresheet and despite the relative ease of the tie, McNally was buoyed by the dedication shown by his charges.

“We had training on Wednesday but we hadn’t spoke about the game last week until we got to the ground on Saturday – I wanted to let it lie,” said McNally.

“I gave every player a job to do, just to see if they do listen to me, and thankfully, they all did what I asked them to do.

“It was a tough one because we were always expected to win the game. For the other team, it was like their cup final, so they turned up at our place with nothing to lose.

“But we performed well and it was great to see the players work hard.

“It sets us up nicely for the next game and hopefully we’re in a good position to try and get our first league win of the season (against Cirencester Town Development on October 17.”

First-year Swindon Town scholar Will Henry made his debut for Shrivenham after joining the club on loan.

McNally added: “We should have him for a couple of months. He seems a nice lad and he’s really confident with his kicking, which makes a big difference to a team like us.”