Town staff: Andy Mulliner (Sambrook, 61), Miguel Hidalgo (Crow, 37) (Dunn, 67), Brian Williams (Roberts, 61), Stuart Delaney, Andrew Tretton, Joe Hinnigan, Nigel Vaughan (Ashton, 28) (Bickerton, 67) (Ashton, 84), John McMahon (Tomlinson, 39), Ryan King (Whitfield, 46) (Ashton, 84) Paul Simpson, Jon Harris (Seabury, 37)

Substitutes: Paul Crow, Ian Whitfield, Kevin Seabury, Peter Wilding, Chris Tomlinson, Alan Roberts, Stuart Dunn, Neil Sambrook, Ian Ashton, Rob Bickerton

ASFC: Ben Harvey, Michael Price (Thomas, P, 71), Phil Thomas (Thelwell, 56), Justin Klekot, Andrew Groves, Tim Klekot, (Parton, 71), Ant Thomas, Steven Price (Evison, 78), Stephen Parton (Mansell, 46), David Evison (Davies, 67), Andy Davies (Price G, 31)

Substitutes: Jamie Hall, Dan Mansell, Russell Thelwell, Glyn Price

Referee: Ben Davies

Assistants: Ben Herd and Steve Leslie

Martin Wild reports from the New Stadium

The annual staff versus supporters game took place for the first time at Town's new home on Oteley Road, and anyone who doubted the intent of the staff soon had that doubt removed when the teamsheet was announced. It was loaded with former league and non-league players - including manager Paul Simpson who was making his debut in this fixture. Joe Hinnigan, the club's physio, had amassed over 700 league games during his playing career, and Nigel Vaughan had been capped at international level for Wales.

Other staff members to feature in this game were skipper Ben Davies who was referee for the evening, and his assistants were none other than Ben Herd and Steve Leslie!

The ground was bathed in bright sunshine at kick-off and there was a healthy crowd of around 300 gathered inside the main stand.

They were soon applauding too, when a slip from keeper Ben Harvey presented Simpson with what appeared to be a difficult chance wide on the left touchline. But with just 90 seconds registered, the former Manchester City and Derby County man found the corner of the net from an almost impossible angle to give the staff a dream start.

The ASFC settled into a rhythm and Ant Thomas forced the first save of the game when he tested Andy Mulliner in the home goal from just outside the box. Had the shot packed a little more punch, the keeper may have had to work a bit harder but it was a routine stop in the end.

Good link up play between Andy Davies and Stephen Parton ended with the former being presented with a shooting opportunity, but he put the ball into the side netting as the away supporters continued to press in the opening twenty minutes.

Just before the half-hour mark though, the home side fashioned a goal of outstanding quality. Ryan King played Simpson into space on the far left and his cross was met by a precision header from first team coach Stuart Delaney at the back post.

It was cruel on the away team but that little bit of extra class was all too apparent in that build-up to the second goal. And class almost brought about a third when Simpson's left peg had Harvey beaten all ends up moments later, but it needed slightly more bend to come inside the upright instead of landing fractionally the wrong side for Andrew Muir's men.

As the half-time whistle approached, David Evison chipped a shot over the advancing Mulliner in an attempt to halve the deficit, but watched agonisingly as the ball bounced wide of the target. It would take a mountain to climb if the supporters were to embarrass the staff but you sensed the next goal would be an important one.

H-T: 2-0

The Wrekin appeared to become Everest for the ASFC within a minute of the restart as Simpson once again was quickest out of the traps. This time, with the aid of a deflection, his 20-yard free-kick sailed past Harvey to score his second and the staff's third of the evening.

Andrew Tretton, the ex-Town and Hereford man, just failed to connect with another teasing cross from the manager as the former pro's looked to tighten the screw, but it was the fans who bounced back grittily.

Tim Klekot beat the offside trap and cut inside before laying on a trophy goal for young substitute Dan Mansell to bring the margin back to two. It was a moment the number 14 is ever unlikely to forget.

And midway through the second half, incredibly the ASFC reduced that margin still further when Evison hit a rising drive past replacement keeper Neil Sambrook.

It was difficult keeping up with the changing fortunes of the game, but harder still tracking the mounting list of substitutions being made, especially with the rolling subs rule in play.

Simpson received the first yellow card of the evening for kicking the ball away in frustration from referee Davies who may find himself on the transfer-list in the morning for this demonstration of petulance!

You couldn't write what happened next. Evison scored an immaculate goal by deftly placing the ball over the home keeper to bring the scores back level. Every one of his team mates joined him in his celebrations by the corner flag and who could blame them?

Unfortunately, the celebrations soon died down as Simpson went on to bag another couple of goals in the last five minutes to take his personal tally for the evening to four.

The away supporters had expended every ounce of energy in clawing their way back into the game and can feel justifiably proud of their efforts by pushing the staff all the way in the end. They were only five minutes from securing the bragging rights for at least 12 months, but they hadn't bargained on the type of performance that the boy Simpson is eminently still capable of!

F-T: 5-3