Jack Owen’s hat-trick in the barnstorming 5-0 smashing of Oughtilbridge sent Dodworth Miners Welfare back to the top of the Sheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League Premier Division for Christmas.
Dazzling Dodworth had the three points sown-up by half-time to move above unbeaten Swinton Athletic and no further goals were scored in the second stanza.
Aided by the new tactical masterplan dreamt up by manager Darren Young, Dodworth disembowelled their hosts in no time at all.
Ex-Nostell Miners Welfare goal machine Owen netted after just two minutes.
In-form young star man Calan Rollinson, in the first of two assists, then sent a cross of extreme quality for Owen to double the lead.
Talisman Danny Barlow got the third and Owen’s younger brother Liam struck the fourth.
The fifth goal was a joy to behold and something out of a Barcelona textbook as almost every Dodworth player touched the ball on its route to Owen completing his hat-trick for the second successive match.
Matt Griffin’s Ecclesfield Red Rose 1915 climbed to fourth after a superb performance earned them a 2-0 win over Penistone Church reserves.
The league’s top goal-scorer Kenan McKenzie Grey got his obligatory goal to break the deadlock and Harry Hurst’s brilliant header increased the lead.
But it wasn’t initially plain-sailing for Ecclesfield, whose man of the match was Carlton Carty, as Penistone hit the bar early on and goalkeeper Sam Nuttall had to make an excellent save when the scores were goal-less.
The rest of the league’s scheduled fixtures were postponed, including the mouth-watering clash between Wombwell Main and Swinton, because of the heavy overnight rain.
Despite the Showman Ryan Poskitt being stretched off injured because of a recurring calf problem late in the first half, promotion-chasing Silkstone United ended 2020 with a 3-1 Division Two win at Parkgate reserves.
Regular hero Poskitt rolled back the years with a predictable humdinger in the 35th minute to break the deadlock.
But disaster struck when the Showman, who received a standing ovation, needed medical attention close to half-time.
Silkstone feared the worst without their talismanic star attraction in the second half. Things could have gone ablaze in the wrong way but led by man of the match Andy McManus, the veteran ex-Emley and Glasshoughton centre-back, who borrowed Poskitt’s cape, Silkstone successfully extinguished Parkgate.
Brad Oates was involved in the second goal and it was Will Heath who netted it.
Poskitt’s lesser known brother Dan then replicated one of his sibling’s greatest hits back catalogue with a 30-yard stunning free kick which hit the stanchion and made it 3-1. Clearly years of watching and learning the craft from his genius brother paid off.
Parkgate pulled one back from a cross after some kamikaze goalkeeping from Silkstone’s stopper.