STAR MAN: Marlon Francis gave a master class in the Claude Makelele role as he helped Patchway Town to a 4-1 win over DRG Stapleton in round two of the GFA Challenge Trophy.

He was the shield in front of the defence and let nothing past him.

Francis' reading of the game was magnificent and he was always in the right position.

The midfielder was strong in the air, making sure that if he didn't win the header, he at least made a challenge.

However, Francis' strongest attribute was his tackling. He went in for every challenge and won the vast majority of them, often putting his body on the line.

It was a very uncomplicated performance from Francis – making a tackle and then playing a simple pass to a team-mate.

And by keeping it simple, Francis kept his side ticking over and the game moving. His passes always found a team-mate and, therefore, were key in keeping possession.

Francis said: "Overall, our teamwork won us the game. We need to move on from here and hopefully this can be the start of our season."

Patchway Town manager Francis Johnson, said: "He is a good player. He's played for Patchway for about 10 years. He's put off a knee operation to help us out. He always turns up for training and he is good for the younger players.

"It was a classic holding midfield performance – doing the simple things well and putting in some stunning tackles."

Francis deservedly picks up the Star Man award. It was a performance that Makelele himself would have been proud of.