Connor McCoy continued his blistering goalscoring form as he bagged his second hat-trick in a week to help Halifax 1sts hit Wentworth 2nds for 6.
Tom Day, Luke Stevenson and a Potts own goal completed the scoring for the men in white, who dominated from the offset. However, Wentworth fought bravely for the opening 20 minutes, pressing high up the pitch and keeping it at 0-0 despite constant pressure.
Once the deadlock was finally broken when Potts put through his own net the goals began to flow for Halifax – McCoy doubled the scoring a minute later and another quick brace came in the 25th minute, with McCoy’s second being followed immediately by a cool Tom Day finish.
The goals dried up slightly in the second period but ‘Fax were perhaps even more dominant, as Wentworth struggled to make it out of their own half.
Again the postgraduates held out well at the beginning of the half – McCoy had to wait 15 minutes until he slammed in his hat-trick goal from long range and substitute Stevenson rounded off the scoring with a strike from inside the area five minutes from time.
Wentworth goalkeeper Somaz was busy from the opening minute – he made a few smart saves to deny Halifax an early lead and was aided greatly by the shift his whole side put in in the opening 20 minutes.
Cook and Rossonis weren’t allowing the Halifax defenders any time on the ball by pressing high, whilst Lipton and Parker worked well in defensive midfield to try and stifle the creativity of Mawdesley and Daly.
Because of this Halifax struggled to create much in the form of clear cut chances early on until a McCoy effort from a tight angle led to the first goal.
McCoy’s strike from the left was well saved by Somaz but he couldn’t divert the ball towards safety – Potts bundled the ball into his own net in a desperate attempt to clear the danger and ‘Fax had a 1-0 lead.
The second followed immediately – Kieran Gennoy played in a good ball from the right-hand side which was met and slammed home by the in-form McCoy.
The two quickfire goals set Wentworth back and Halifax began to find more space all over the park. Matt Mawdesley came close twice, once with a long range effort and again with a header from a Daly corner before an element of luck granted McCoy his second and ‘Fax’s third.
The winger chased down a ball over the top from Boden and his shot came off Somaz and back off his own body before running free and through on goal. With Somaz stranded McCoy duly tapped into the empty net to make it 3-0.
Again Wentworth fell victim to conceding two in quick succession, with Tom Day benefiting from a beautifully weighted chipped through ball from centre back Alex Tringham.
Tringham’s ball cut through the heart of the Wentworth defence and Day ghosted in and finished well into the corner.
Tringham had a chance to add a further goal himself before half-time, only to see his long range strike comfortably saved, whilst Ash Daly sent a volley narrowly over the bar before the whistle blew.
The break did not halt Halifax’s dominance, but the comfortable scoreline did affect their urgency for goals.
Chances still came, but they were less clear cut – Somaz kept out long range efforts from McCoy and Boden whilst Daly sent a free kick high and wide and Tringham curled an effort just wide of the post.
The men in white did produce an excellent flowing move after 43 minutes which drew a fine save out of the Wentworth ‘keeper. Daly, Mawdesley and Meckin cut through the centre of the Wentworth resistance but the latter’s shot was saved well, low to Somaz’s right.
Two minutes later and ‘Fax did have five however. McCoy struck a low piledriver into the bottom corner to complete his hat-trick and score his seventh goal in two games this week.
They continued to press for more, Mawdesley finding the back of the net only for the goal to be ruled out for offside, before a goalmouth scramble saw a Tringham effort cleared off the line and shots from Mawdesley and Daly blocked and eventually hooked clear.
It was not until the 54th minute that they rounded off the scoring courtesy of Luke Stevenson.
The substitute turned well inside the area with the ball at his feet and struck low past Somaz to make it 6-0 and add a bit of extra gloss to the scoreline.
It could so easily have been seven had Tringham, who had been a goal threat all day from centre back, not headed a Daly corner onto the bar from all of a yard out.
“We played well today,” said Halifax captain Matt Darling. “We were a bit poor in the second half but played really well in the first half and managed to win comfortably.”
I think you’ll find that McCoy scored the first, not Potts…