The acting coach of the team that lost by a mammoth 27-0 in a North Berks League cup tie on Saturday, said he was not surprised by the result.

“On the way to the game, I predicted a 25-0 score-line,” said Dave Catherall of struggling Division 5 basement side Appleton Stars.

Appleton’s hosts in the first round of the War Mem-orial Cup were Division 2 leaders Wantage Town A.

Catherall said: “We can lose to Division 5 sides 10-0, so this result against one of the best teams in the league did not surprise me at all, although I didn’t think we had conceded that many.

“In hindsight, I don’t know why we bothered to enter this competition. “We were always going to get thrashed.”

Catherall was acting coach in the absence of the club's leader, Briony MacKellar.

He added: “I started as a substitute and went on in the first half when one of our players went off with a knee injury(that’s about the seventh in the club I think).

Catherall, who said his 20-year-old son, Michael, played a blinder in goal, got himself booked, but Appleton still had 11 players on the field at the end.

The club, who have only been going for a few years, have 13 players available every game, although being bottom of the table has not helped to attract promising young players.

“As it was a cup tie, we weren’t down-hearted,” said Catherall. “We knew we didn’t have a cat in hell’s chance of winning.”

Appleton this week entertain Grove rangers Res at the ground they share with Hanney FC.

“We’ll be disappointed if we lose that one,” admitted Catherall.

For the record – the league are still checking if it is one – Wantage’s Liam McCullough helped himself to nine goals.

Chris Whitworth scored four, Jarrad Jones and Tobias Daley netted hat-tricks, Luca Rennie and Bill MacDonald hit two each, while Jamie Wilkins, Sam Barder, Scott Groves and Ben Eltham also found the net.

Meanwhile Division 3 Blewbury produced the biggest upset of the first round, winning 5-2 at Divi-sion 2 Sutton Courtenay.

Will Vaukins scored twice alongside Rob Pritchard, Levi Webb and Will Reddy while Josh Gilsenan and Dan Kovman netted for Sutton. Division 5 Uffington United won 3-2 at Division 4 Hagbourne United. Ross Garcia, Jamie Glock and Louis Butler scored their goals. Nick Guiry and Stuart Goodenough replied.

Marcham, from Division 3, edged Division 4 leaders Turnpike Sports 3-2. Kirk Willmoth and Steve James scored for Turnpike but goals from Jonny Lloyd, Dave Yallop and Jonny Eldridge won the tie for Marcham.

Division 2 side Steventon pipped Division 4 outfit Kennington Athletic 2-1 courtesy of Kevin Scott and Tom Davies strikes. Andy Dyer scored for Kennington.

East Hendred cruised to a 6-2 victory at Division 4 Grove Rangers.

Joe Ledbury and Matt Cramp scored for the lower league side, but Gareth Coo-per (2) and Ricardo Riccio (2), Jason Moss and Ben Hum-mel efforts won it.

Wayne Gregory, Josh Bourne, Dave Griffin and Jason Pook gave Stanford in the Vale a 4-2 home win against Milton United Res for whom Karl Burton and Sam Fieldings registered.