SINKUMS boss Barry Hopkins described his side’s performance as ‘disgusting’, despite three quick-fire goals sealing their place at the top of the table.

The Widemarsh Common outfit remain on track for their maiden Herefordshire League Premier Division title thanks to two strikes from Scott Turner and one from top-scorer Damian Gallimore. But Mercia gave Sinkums a fright – Will Tolley missed a penalty and they scored two second-half goals.

“The performance was disgusting,” said Hopkins.

“We had 15 minutes in the first-half where we tore them apart but after that we seemed to lose our way.

“In the second-half we seemed to sit back, soak up the pressure and started to get on the ref’s case and before we knew it, it was back to 3-2. “We got the three points that we came for but we were lucky. “I’m over the moon with the result because we were without three or four first-team players.”

Sinkums should have been ahead inside 30 seconds in last Saturday’s top-of-the-table battle at Marden.

A poor back-pass to Mercia goalkeeper Dean Kibble, and his miss-kick, allowed Turner to shoot but the shot-stopper kept the ball out.

Mercia then had several opportunities to take the lead with Anthony McQuaid, Mark Phipps and Stuart New all failing to hit the target with close-range efforts. And in the 22nd minute, they rued their missed chances when Turner converted a flowing passing move between Brett Lawrence and Rikki Adjie.

Three minutes later, goalkeeper Kibble couldn’t hold on to Adjie’s cross and Gallimore pounced to slot home his 21st goal in 22 appearances.

Three more minutes passed before Turner cut in from the left and fired a 25-yard strike into the top corner.

But Mercia got back to dictating play, with Darren Jones and New having chances and in the second period.

They were awarded a penalty when Sinkums’ keeper, Adam Rocke, brought down New. However, Tolley’s penalty was straight down the middle, making a simple save for Rocke.

Mercia’s dominance paid off when Paul Jenkins thumped in a 30-yard effort.

Substitute Glenn Day then headed home in the 86th minute, it set up a tense finale.

Phipps blasted over in added time and, rather unusually, an indirect free-kick was awarded to Mercia in their opponents’ penalty area because of foul language.

But New’s strike cannoned back off the wall.

Mercia player-manager McQuaid said: “We were very unlucky - the best team lost.

“We didn’t deserve to be 3-0 down at the break. It was just our own silly mistakes in goal and also our finishing that let us down.”

The ex-Westfields and Pegasus player admitted he has brought in some of his former team-mates which has aided Mercia’s rise to the top division.

“We will try and beat Sinkums at their place and see if we can make the top three but it’s unlikely we will catch them now – we needed two wins against them.”

Sinkums boss Hopkins added: “Now we’re five points clear at the top.

“We just want to finish as high as we can but it’s not in our hands right now as Wellington Reserves have games in hand.”

MATCH FACTS Mercia Athletic: Kibble, Powell, Glover, Miles, Winstone, Phipps, Jones, Jenkins, New, McQuaid, Tolley. Subs: Moff, Day, Zima, Maurski, Dallow.

Sinkums: Rocke, A Vaughan, Hughes, Prosser, Lewis, Roberts, S Turner, Lawrence, Adjie, Gallimore, Z Turner. Subs: Chadwick, Norman, G Vaughan, Lako-Tombe, Hopkins.

Referee: Jim Lambert (Herefordshire FA).

Star man: Brett Lawrence (Sinkums).