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The first XI made the long Wednesday night trip to Colinthians knowing that a victory would secure the league title for the third successive season.
Although the formation returned to the tried and trusted 3-5-2, Nathan Watkins and Nik Wooldridge were retained in the back three following their excellent performances in the previous game. Noel Smith returned from his two week sunshine cruise to take up a forward slot alongside Tony Morrison.
On a hard, uneven pitch, both teams made tentative starts. Simon Hardle fired a twenty-five yard free kick over the bar while a Cols player should have done better when left unmarked at a free kick.
Wulfs gradually found their feet and should have taken the leas on eighteen minutes when Chip Southern chased a ball to the by-line before cutting back to Jon Hart who scooped over from twelve yards.
They went close again six minutes later when Nik Wooldridge released Steve Showell down the left flank and his attempted cross almost flew directly in at the far post.
The deadlock was finally broken on thirty-nine minutes. Noel Smith ran at the Cols back line before sending in a cross which Tony Morrison headed up and over the keeper where Chip Southern dived to head in at the far post, getting a kick in the face for his troubles.
The lead was doubled a minute before the break. Jon Hart took a quick throw to Noel Smith and he fired a low hard pass across goal where David Thompson side footed home with aplomb.
Wulfs almost extended their lead twice in the space of a minute just after the restart. First Noel Smith turned his marker superbly before firing a shot just wide and then Tony Morrison harried into a mistake before hitting a shot that also flew wide of the post.
Noel Smith was causing havoc amongst the home defence and should have got his name on the score sheet in the sixty-seventh minute. James Skedgel curled a ball down the touchline to Chip Southern who quickly passed on to Smith. A quality bobble deceived the defender allowing Smith a clear run at goal but his attempted lob flew wide of the mark.
Smith wasn't to be outdone though and finally grabbed his goal in the seventy-fourth minute. Steve Rich was beaten to a ball by the home keeper but his clearance fell to the feet of Noel Smith who, forty yards out, promptly despatched into the empty net.
Two minutes later Smith was at it again. This time he knocked the ball past the helpless keeper to leave himself with a complete open goal. Unfortunately he is more deadly from forty yards than he is from ten and he screwed his shot past the post.
In the end three goals were more than enough and at the final whistle, with the league title in the bag, the scene was set for the wild celebrations to begin. Instead there were a couple of polite handshakes and a collective smile of satisfaction. Job done!
Final score: Colinthians 0 Wulfrunians 3.
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