Evo-Stik Southern League Division 1 South & West
Taunton Town 10, Larkhall Athletic 2
THE Peacocks may be enjoying an extraordinary season, but they can have had few more devastating spells than the 15 minutes which tore this match away from Larkhall Athletic, and set in motion a landslide that reached double figures.
The visitors to the Viridor Stadium shocked their hosts by taking an early lead, but once Taunton Town had found their rhythm they were unstoppable - Shane White, Owen Irish (2), Ross Staley (2), Jordan Rogers (2), Craig Duff and Ben Palmer (2) all on the scoresheet.
The victory, their 11th in a row, sees them finally sit in the playoffs places after weeks of climbing the table thanks to games in hand.
Boss Leigh Robinson made several changes from the weekend's win at Hereford, with Josh Searle, Ben Palmer and Alex Hoyle coming in, and Craig Veal replacing the unavailable Matt Wright up front.
And the altered Peacocks side were sluggish to start with, falling behind in the fourth minute to Ben Brooks' header - the away side showing they were not content merely to sit back.
But eventually the hosts got into their groove, with Jordan Rogers hitting the post - and then the avalanche of goals arrived.
On 18 minutes, Shane White fired in the equaliser from 20 yards, and six minutes after that Veal set up free-scoring centre-back Owen Irish to smash home and put Town ahead.
It was 3-1 in the 28th minute, as Ross Staley scored following a rapid counter-attack, and then came two goals in two minutes from Rogers, his 15th and 16th league strikes of the season.
His first, in the 32nd minute, saw him beat his man and slot past the keeper - and on 33 minutes another lethal counter-attack set him up to complete a quick-fire double.
Larkhall had learned the hard way that attacking the Peacocks has its perils, but they survived through to half time without sustaining further damage.
Craig Duff, who had only recently come off the bench, added a sixth in the 58th minute, finishing from White's deflected effort, and there was still time for five more goals.
Five minutes after Duff crashed a shot against the post, Staley weaved his way past four Larkhall players to curl into the bottom corner for 7-1 in the 67th minute.
Ben Palmer then joined the party with two headers from two White crosses in the 71st and 74th minutes, to bring up Town's eighth and ninth goals.
Larkhall hit back, Brooks on the scoresheet again, with just over 11 minutes remaining, but Town had the final word - bringing up double figures - as Owen Irish scored from White's corner.
Ten goals, 11 straight wins and a jump from seventh to fifth in the league. A good evening's work from @TauntonTownFC. #UpThePeacocks pic.twitter.com/giNLWBvsWl
— CountyGazetteRich (@CGazette_Rich) January 17, 2017
Eleven straight wins in the bag then, and Town go after number 12 on Saturday (ko 3pm) at home to second-bottom Wantage Town - who they defeated 9-0 in the reverse fixture last month.
Taunton: Lloyd Irish, Josh Searle, Owen Irish, Ed Palmer, Alex Hoyle, Ben Palmer, Shane White (captain), Ross Staley, Ollie Chamberlain (Matt Buse), Jordan Rogers (Craig Duff), Craig Veal.
Subs not used: Matt Villis, Pierce Mitchell, Brett Trowbridge.
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