Sandbach United beat NWCFL newcomers Brocton FC 3-1 to begin the 2021/22 season with maximum points.

Manager Andy Hockenhull welcomed back creative outlet Aaron Knight to the starting 11, opting for a 4-3-3 formation and deploying fearsome forwards Bobbie McDonnell and Scott Evans either side of Knight.

With club stalwarts Chris Rowntree and Brad Cooper unavailable, Sean Moscrop partnered Callum Evans in defensive midfield whilst Kieran O'Connell and Declan O'Riordan formed a young partnership in central defence.

The home side started positively, with Knight forcing the Brocton goalkeeper into a save within 2 minutes as he blocked a shot with his toe, before a McDonnell rebounded volley was acrobatically cleared by a diving Brocton player.

O'Connell first showed his danger from set pieces after 13 minutes when he found himself unmarked and headed just over the crossbar from 8 yards. He looked disappointed that he didn't test the keeper, but the defender would make amends for that only 6 minutes later.

Callum Evans opened the scoring after O'Connell yet again won the header from a corner, this time diverting it back into the box for Evans to fire home via the glove of the Brocton keeper.

Sandbach had very strong claims for a penalty waved away when the ever-menacing McDonnell was brought down in the box by a desperate Brocton defender who looked to miss the ball completely with his tackle, but the referee waved away protests from those in blue and white.

Knight unfortunately had to be replaced after 35 minutes after picking up a foot injury from a late Brocton challenge and was replaced by debutant Amir Hajri.

Hajri took only minutes to make his mark on the game when he received the ball from Robbie Hatton, before playing a clever through ball to McDonnell. Faced with just the keeper between him and scoring, he deftly chipped the ball past him and into the net first-time.

Danny Hamlett, who had been a mere spectator at times in the first half, was called into action early in the second half when Brocton looked to threaten with a counterattack, but he saved well with his feet.

McDonnell then came within inches of his second goal after a perfect Callum Evans cross was glanced onto the post by the forward, and the ball painfully rolled along the goal-line before it was claimed by a grateful Brocton keeper.

The young striker was not to be denied his second for long as he scored the team's third goal on the hour mark. He played a lovely backheel to Hatton, who returned the ball for McDonnell to curl a wonderful first-time strike off the post and in.

Brocton persevered for a goal and were rewarded on 80 minutes when they won the ball back from a poor Ramblers clearance and fired a shot into the bottom right corner.

The visitors had their tails up after that and looked to find a way back into the match, but a combination of good defending and excellent saves from Hamlett ensured the hosts walked away from the opening game with 3 points.

Andy Hockenhull gave an update to the fans ahead of Tuesday's evening game against St Martins on Knight's condition, saying that he "took Aaron off mainly as a precaution but I'm not sure yet if he will be fit for Tuesday."