FC Clacton romp to 6-1 win over Wivenhoe Town in derby

The hosts asserted their dominance from the start and within three minutes the deadlock was broken as Bruno Binda struck from a corner at the near post.

Minutes later they doubled their lead as Glory Longi played a clever ball down the right flank to Arthur Bright, who squared across goal for Ben Sargeant to tap home.

The early flurry of action left Wivenhoe rattled, but they managed to steady themselves somewhat as the game settled.

Despite Wivenhoe’s efforts to get forward, Clacton’s sharp attacking play paid off again in the 22nd minute as Sargeant struck once more with a precise shot from just inside the box.

However, the visitors managed to claw one back after a long throw caused chaos in the box. Finley Watts failed to connect, but the ball was powered home past the Clacton keeper to make it 3-1.

Clacton almost restored their cushion immediately when a free-kick was recycled back into the danger zone, Mitch Goddard firing from the edge of the box only to see his shot parried away.

The relentless pressure told again as Sargeant rattled the post with a header and the rebound was tucked in by Goddard to make it 4-1 at the break.

The second half began in stark contrast to the first, with both sides creating opportunities but none seriously troubling either goalkeeper.

Clacton were content to manage their advantage, picking their moments to attack while frustrating Wivenhoe’s attempts to spark a comeback.

A couple of shots from distance were comfortably caught by the visiting keeper, but Clacton’s patience eventually paid off as Sargeant completed his hat-trick with around 20 minutes to play, racing through and rounding the keeper before calmly slotting home.

Clacton weren’t finished, though, as Henry Bright came close with a powerful effort that was tipped away before Arion Svarqa’s whipped corner was met by Goddard, who rose highest to head home his second of the game.

And Chairo Gittens forced the keeper into action with a dangerous corner that curled goalwards, while Godfried Debrah’s strike whistled narrowly past the post.

It was a derby to remember for Clacton, with the 6-1 thrashing a statement victory built on a combination of ruthless finishing, disciplined game management, and well-timed substitutions from manager Kieron Shelley.

Sargeant’s hat-trick was the club’s first since February 2023, while the six-goal tally was the team’s highest in a single match since February 2020.

Beyond the statistics, the win carried real weight in the standings, propelling Clacton from 14th place up to seventh to set the tone for their ambitions going forward.

They head to Holbeach United on Saturday.