By Steve Rich at Mount Wise

SWPL PREMIER WEST (SATURDAY)

Newquay 4 Millbrook 0

JACOB Grange notched a hat-trick and produced a man of the match performance as the table-topping Peppermints eased to victory against the league’s bottom side at Mount Wise.

The Peppermints went into the game six points clear of their nearest challengers Liskeard Athletic, while the Brook arrived on the North Cornwall coast full of confidence having beaten Holsworthy 2-1 to move to within two points of Launceston.

The weather over the past few weeks and a game the previous weekend meant that the pitch was very soft and would be heavy going, making it more difficult to play the free-flowing football that Newquay like to produce.

And although the hosts were without leading scorer Louis Price, they still had plenty of firepower upfront as would be seen through the match.

From the off Newquay took the game to Millbrook, moving the ball about the pitch trying to expose their defence, although the Jenkins Park outfit were equal to the task and defended well.

Newquay’s first goal came in the 13th minute when the Brook failed to clear the ball from defence and when Callam Maconie was given the ball he drove past the defender to the right by-line and then crossed the ball into the six-yard box over keeper Tom Burstow where Grange was waiting to sidefoot the ball into the net.

The first half ended with no further goals being scored by either side.

The second 45 began with Millbrook stepping up their pace but they could not get past Newquay’s solid defence, they were relying on the long ball to their target man playing in the number nine shirt.

Grange was causing the Millbrook defence problems on either side of the pitch with his dribbling runs, on one of these from the far corner into the box he was brought down and given a penalty. Wanting to take it himself, he stepped up and calmly stroked the ball into the left corner of the net to double the lead.

Newquay’s third goal came when they broke out of defence and sub Phil Lowry put Grange through on the left. The former Falmouth attacker took the ball forward and his shot was blocked by young Burstow, however he recovered the ball to cross it into the box where it was headed high in the air and as it came down sub Jack Bray-Evans rose above the keeper to head it into the net for his second goal of the season.

Newquay’s final goal came within minutes of the restart when a Millbrook defender failed to clear the ball further than Coen Briggs who looked to clip the ball back over the defender who headed it up into the air. As it came down outside the box, Grange volleyed it low into the left bottom corner to rack up his first hat-trick of the season.

No further goals were incoming but it was another three points in the Peppermints’ quest for Western League football, while unsurprisingly Grange was named man of the match.

Newquay are next in action on Saturday when they visit Holsworthy (3pm).

NEWQUAY: Brodie Cole; Jamie Edlin, Harry Downing (capt), Cam Turner, Tom Moxham; Aaron Dilley, Ross Fallens; Josh Evans, Tom Shepherd, Callam Maconie, Jacob Grange. Subs: Cody Hill, Lucas Potts, Coen Briggs, Phil Lowry, Jack Bray-Evans.

Newquay man of the match: Jacob Grange.