KAYLE PRICE continued his rich vein of form, with his well-taken hat-trick inspiring Steeton to a thrilling 5-3 win at home to Chadderton in the penultimate game of the NWCFL First Division North season.

Spectators were rewarded with a breathless second half, as five goals in less than 20 minutes left the scoreline finely poised at 4-3 before the young striker sealed back-to-back wins for the hosts late on.

Steeton were slow out of the blocks and found themselves behind after just five minutes. A teasing inswinging corner was delivered into the box, with Mauro Mendes scrambling the ball into the back of the net at the far post.

The game turned scrappy in the minutes that followed, however, as Chadderton began to sit deeper, the lively Luke Baldwin and Ethan Hudson-Parker were given the freedom of the flanks to push forward. Jack Lynn and Baldwin played a neat one-two down the right-wing, with the latter delivering a teasing cross for the onrushing Price to fire under Aum Patel at the far post.

The Chevrons started brightly after the interval and came within a whisker of taking the lead in the 49th minute, Baldwin seeing his free-kick hit the wall before his sweet volley from the rebound crashed against the post.

Roy Mason's men were in front soon after, Baldwin running unchallenged through the midfield before sending a sensational reverse ball to Price, who made no mistake to rifle a powerful strike into the bottom corner.

The visitors looked to cut out a pass but instead allowed the impressive Hudson-Parker to capitalise on the bounce of the ball and run between two visiting defenders before volleying his first Steeton goal past a stranded Patel.

However, the home side were pegged back almost immediately, a mix-up at the back seeing Joseph Richards pick the ball up before rounding the returning Jordan Moorhouse and firing into an empty net.

Toby Jeffrey fizzed a teasing delivery across the face of the goal, while Moorhouse spectacularly denied a Chadderton forward, but neither could prevent the visitors from levelling the scores with 20 minutes to play. Mendes was given time and space down the left wing to cut inside and angle a strike across goal, the ball taking a wicked deflection off the inside of the far post before rolling into the back of the net.

The goal-fest continued from the restart, with Baldwin also deservedly finding himself on the scoresheet after meeting Price’s lay-off to finish smartly under Patel.

Steeton weathered the storm and wrapped up the points in injury time, Price sealing his hat-trick with the pick of the goals after rounding three defenders and lashing the ball past Patel at the near post.

The win confirms that the Chevrons will finish no lower than 13th and above local rivals Campion and Ilkley.