Free of any prior golfing commitments, Bale deigned to appear for the Cocks here, but he was soon left wishing he was on the links when Ramos bundled home in only the fourth minute. Of course, you never quite know where the MiB are at, as Cavani proved when he missed a penalty on the stroke of half-time, but Di Maria resumed course with a second goal. While the Cocks had their chances, they struggled for fluency, and it ended up a fairly straightforward march to a third consecutive victory for the league newcomers.

By Allegra Beforewicket