HASLEMERE 6, ROMSEY 1

HASLEMERE are top of the Hampshire/Surrey Regional 2 by virtue of their remarkable tally of 21 goals in the first three games.

Romsey were the latest team to be blown away as Haslemere hit them for six at Woolmer Hill last Saturday, with goal-machine Nic Cope scoring a hat-trick to follow up his four goals of the week before.

It took Haslemere five minutes to make the breakthrough. With two Romsey players sent to the halfway line for trying to gain an unfair advantage at a short corner, Cope took the ball past a defender and hit to the back post where injector Chris Fox poked home from close range.

Cope soon had his first of the afternoon as he linked up with Alex Messenger and burst through into space on the left to double the lead.

This was just the start Romsey didn’t want and there was no respite for the visitors. Cope was a continual threat and was only denied another goal when his deflection from Andy Major’s cross was touched over by the keeper for a long corner.

Cope would not be denied, however, and scored twice early in the second half. He clinched his treble when Andy Powell picked him out with a great diagonal ball into the D and Cope held off more than one defender before slotting home.

Romsey kept going and pulled one back with a drag-flick high into the net at a short corner.

Haslemere replied immediately, and with the goal of the game. Barney Green picked the ball up in the right-back position and, looking up, played an aerial pass in behind the Romsey defence. Luca Signorelli sprinted to baseline and tucked the ball under his arm to release Cope who set up Robert Grech to smash his shot into the bottom corner to a roar from the crowd.

Already a fans favorite, Grech celebrated his first goal in Haslemere colours.

There was still ample time for the Blues to add a sixth. After having his shot illegally stopped on the line, Andy Powell struck the penalty into the top corner.