Toolstation NCEL Division One
Glasshoughton Welfare 0-5 Knaresborough Town
Fraser Lancaster pictured with the match-ball after scoring four against Glasshoughton. Picture: Craig Hinsdale
Fraser Lancaster scored four as Knaresborough forced themselves back into the race for the play-offs after thrashing Glasshoughton.
Brad Walker headed wide from an early Paul Atkinson centre, but Knaresborough went ahead in the 11th minute when Fraser Lancaster headed a Fatlum Ibrahimi free kick, the ball was blocked back to him and he fired first time into the corner of the net with his left foot.
Knaresborough goalkeeper Jack Rushworth made an excellent save to keep out a free kick from Josh Morley and was rewarded when a second goal arrived in the 26th minute in similar fashion to the first. A long free kick from Ibrahimi on the left was headed on by Will Lenehan and again it was Lancaster who fired in a left foot shot into the opposite corner.
Paul Atkinson went close to adding to the total when he rounded Mark Suttle in the home goal only to fire into the side netting.
Walker’s run down the right side of the defence then set up Lancaster’s hat trick in the 53rd minute as he shot just inside the near post.
Ibrahimi’s weak effort was saved and Toby Lees headed over from a corner kick as Knaresborough continued to press hard, but in the 71st minute a fourth goal saw Lancaster fire into an open net after Ibrahimi had broken clear of the defence.
Rushworth saved again from Morley, but Lancaster had two more shots narrowly wide as he continued to test the home side.
Ben Joyce sent Ibrahimi through, but after Suttle saved his first shot, the second went wide.
It was then left to Joyce to put the seal on a fine showing as he chased Rushworth’s long clearance and hit home the fifth in the 90th minute.
Knaresborough Town: Rushworth; Parkes, Cook, Lenehan, Lees, Parkes,Bradley (Joyce), Ibrahimi, Atkinson; Walker, Lancaster. Sub not used: Paul Stansfield.