WISBECH Town have found the secret weapon that allows them to play flowing football... the pitch.

Groundstaff at the Elgood’s Fenland Stadium have been using chemicals and fertilisers to treat the pitch in a desperate bid to create a surface which suits the Fenmen’s attacking football.

And their efforts paid off on Tuesday night, as Wisbech crushed Diss Town 6-0 on the new lush turf.

Manager Steve Appleby said: “It’s amazing what a bit of grass on the pitch does for us!

“Our pitch has always been a problem, which is why we often play our best football away, but recently grass has been springing up everywhere.

“We want to play football and we like to keep the ball on the deck so a good pitch certainly helps us. We played some unbelievable football on Tuesday and we put on a show for the home fans.”

The Fenmen passed Diss off the pitch, but it was Steven Reid’s rocket that started the rout as he slammed home a bobbling clearance from 25 yards out.

After that, the hosts ran riot with goals from Neal Spafford, Paul Cousins, Chris Bacon and Dubi Ogbonna, as well as an own goal, putting the Fenmen temporarily top of the Thurlow Nunn Premier Division.

The result came just days after Appleby trimmed down his large squad by releasing summer signing Simon Mowbray and star midfielder Callum Reed for “purely footballing reasons”.

The Wisbech boss said: “I always knew that either people would walk or I would have to make some tough decisions. That’s just football.

“I’m the manager of the club and I make the decisions, which I will live or die by.

“We’ve got the squad I want now and I’m not looking to bring anyone else in. We’ve got goals and talent all over the pitch.”

Wisbech, who remain unbeaten this season, host Yaxley in the FA Cup Preliminary Round tomorrow with the winners set to meet Kettering Town.

Appleby, who spent a year with Kettering as a player, said he was looking forward to meeting former March Town United boss Brett Whaley’s side, which features many former Hares.

“With the former March boys playing it does give it a nice edge.

“I’ve always got on with Brett and we built bridges between Wisbech and March while he was there. I’ve got a lot of time for him and it will certainly be an intriguing battle.”