Hallmark Security League Division One: Silsden 6 Eccleshall 0

SILSDEN maintained their 100 per cent home league record with their second successive 6-0 win at the Cobbydale Construction Stadium.

It was also their second hammering of Eccleshall, having beaten the Staffordshire outfit 5-0 on their own patch in mid-October.

And the match saw a second hat-trick from Joe Gaughan against the visitors this season, the prolific frontman having bagged a triple in that autumn rout.

The victory was an emphatic response after the Cobbydalers had suffered their third defeat of the season the previous week at Sandbach, when they conceded three late goals.

And, with their three main title rivals thwarted by the weather, it put them 12 points clear at the top of the table.

Boss Danny Forrest – whose side had beaten Chadderton 6-0 on Boxing Day – had the luxury of replacing injured skipper Josh Kaine with Dan Illingworth, while the division’s player of the month for November, Niall Sultan, returned after a lay-off.

The Keighley Road pitch was heavy but deemed playable, preventing a fixture pile-up for the Reds, who were immediately on the attack.

Matty Moses epitomised Silsden’s intentions, with several pacey runs down the right and, for much of the half, it was one-way traffic with the Eagles holding on, courtesy of some excellent goalkeeping by Matthew Johnson.

A super run by Arley Barnes set up the first chance but Johnson gathered his cross before Illingworth headed a Mark Trueman corner into the side-netting.

Gaughan weaved his way to the edge of the penalty area before being tripped. He curled in what looked a goal-bound free-kick which Johnson, at full stretch, tipped for a corner.

Gaughan went even closer on 20 minutes when he controlled Mateusz Tomas’s cross on his chest and volleyed goalwards. Again Johnson pushed the ball wide.

Silsden moved the ball quickly and a goal looked certain, Louis Downs heading off the line with Johnson beaten.

It was attack against defence with the visitors blocking shots from Gaughan, Sultan, Chris Wademan and Trueman.

Finally, minutes before the break, the Eagles had their first chance. Downs hit a free-kick into the Silsden wall and the ball rebounded to Danny Needham, who shot into the side-netting.

Instead it was the Cobbdydalers who had the last word as they took the lead just before the interval. Gaughan’s shot was blocked by Johnson but Trueman buried the rebound.

Five minutes into the second half, 1-0 had become 3-0. Matty Moses broke up the right and slid the ball to the marauding Wademan, who reached the by-line and crossed to the advancing Gaughan to slot home.

The league's leading goalscorer then grabbed his second after weaving between three defenders.

The hosts were now in total control. Gaughan set up Barnes, who forced a save from Johnson before Reece Kendall broke up a rare attack by the visitors and threaded a ball to Wademan, who cut in and out of statuesque defence before being challenged.

In-form Wademan was not to be denied a goal as he slid home Sultan’s cross on 60 minutes.

Gaughan saw two more efforts saved before Forrest came on for Tomas. The manager almost scored with his first touch but a minute later he followed up, when Gaughan was denied once again by Johnson, to tap in the rebound.

Three minutes from time Gaughan put the icing on the cake to complete his hat-trick.

After a month’s lay-off and two defeats, the Cobbydalers look to be back on track.

Silsden travel to Daisy Hill on Saturday, with games against promotion contenders Whitchurch Alport and Litherland at the end of the month.

SILSDEN: Jakovlevs, Moses, Kendall, Bentham, Illingworth, Trueman (Rhodes 70), Barnes, Tomas (Forrest 82), Wademan, Gaughan, Sultan (Holt 70).