For the first time in many months, Frome effectively failed to turn up for this match.
Hungerford were in total control throughout, scored four without reply, (all scored by defenders), and could easily have scored many more as they cruised into what looks like a certain play off slot.
With Mitchell Page coming back into the team following a three match suspension, Frome were again without the services of Marcus Mapstone, Darren Chitty, Sam Teale and Rob Hobbs, though Kris Miller did return from injury.
The writing was on the wall in the first minute as Ed Baldy saved with his legs from James Clark after Jordan Walker had slipped, and as the resulting corner was swung in, Hungerford again went close as Nat Jarvis hit a shot that bobbled just past the far post.
As the match settled, Hungerford just kept turning the screw and man of the match Connor Roberts produced a superb late tackle to deny Jarvis in the 4th, and five minutes later, Hungerford should really have opened the scoring as the dangerous Garyn Preen hit a low left wing cross that the diving Stefan Brown just failed to reach.
Jordan Walker was a little fortunate to stay on the pitch in the 11th as he mis-kicked and was then adjudged to have pulled back Preen as he accelerated towards the Frome goal, with the referee only reaching for a yellow card to the relief of the travelling fans.
Baldy did well under pressure to punch clear twice in the 20th minute as Hungerford looked for the opener, and Frome finally carved out a chance in the 32nd as Davies got to the dead ball line to pull the ball back invitingly only for Page to just fail to get a touch.
Hungerford eventually got their reward in the 34th when a free kick was met at the far post by their right back Gary Horgan who nodded the ball over Baldy into the far corner, albeit with the slight suspicion of a push on a Frome defender.
It looked like it would be 2-0 in the 37th as three Hungerford players lined up to shoot home from close range, but Baldy did remarkably well to get his body in the way of the shot from Brown, and with Frome testing Paul Strudley from range a couple of times just before the interval, there was hope that the second half might be a bit more even.
However, it wasn’t to be and Hungerford went 2-0 up in the 51st as a left wing corner was swung in by Ian Herring for the unmarked centre half Mike Jones to powerfully head home at the near post, and after Baldy had again saved from Clark, it was 3-0 12 minutes later as Matt Day had oceans of time and space to fire a ball out to Rhys Tylor who breezed past the challenge of Jon Davies and scored with a left foot shot.
Two minutes later it was 4-0 as right back Horgan headed home a long throw for his second of the game and at this stage it was becoming embarrassingly easy for Hungerford as Frome conceded possession easily, lost every 50:50 ball and seemed to be content to just wander around with no real desire to retain possession.
Baldy saved well again from Mark Draycott in the 68th and Brown hammered the rebound over the bar, a shot from Jones went just wide in the 75th, Baldy again saved from Herring in the 83rd and it took until the 88th minute for Strudley to make his first save of the second half as George Miller hit a sweetly struck left foot shot into his body.
With Baldy saving low from Preen right at the end, this is a game that Frome will want to forget, and hopefully Redditch will be given a better test next Saturday.
Connor Roberts was awarded the H&B Tyres Man of the Match Award, and his bravery and tackling contributed to the score line being kept to sensible figures.
Frome Scorers: None. Hungerford Scorers: Horgan (34) (65) Tyler (62) Jones (51). Crowd: 186. Star Man: Connor Roberts. Entertainment Value: 2/5.
