Warren treble sinks Vale

Sylvans 5, Vale Rec 1

IT'S just as well island boss Steve Ogier was not at this one. Matt Warren, the man whom he dumped from the island squad on disciplinary grounds, hit a hat-trick to ice a dominant midfield performance and on-fire Matt Le Cras was again a constant source of danger as the champions-elect proved too strong for a poor Vale side.

Virtually everything went right for Joel Avery's team from the moment they were gifted a penalty after barely a minute.

If they slip up now in the Priaulx League championship race it will be a huge surprise and indeed should they regain the title the person organising the party might wish to send an invite to linesman Ted Teed who gave them a kick-start here at St Peter's.

Adie Exall seemed to go down all too easily as he ran side by side with left-back James McColl, but Teed had no doubt and the striker had barely completed his pike with tuck, degree of difficulty 2.5, when up went the linesman's flag.

Referee Andy Priaulx had not noticed anything untoward, but seeing the flag raised, consulted with his colleague and pointed to the spot.

Warren crashed home the spot kick and any nervousness Sylvans might have had quickly vanished.

Vale responded well, though, with the mercurial Trim Morgan at the heart of their riposte.

Sylvans were affording him far too much room and on 11min. he latched onto a short return pass on the edge of the box, jinked past a couple of lunges and wrong-footed keeper Richard Davey with a mis-hit shot.

The goal shook Sylvans from their brief slumbers and over the next half-hour they created chance after chance.

It didn't take them long to get their noses back in front.

Tony Vance swung over an inswinging corner from the right and John Nobes rose above everyone else at the far post to head the second.

Warren was particularly pumped up, crashing through tackle after tackle.

Some challenges were not as clean and as upfront as his, though, and tempers became increasingly frayed as the referee gave a good impression of a man who would rather be elsewhere.

Before half-time Le Cras hit the bar and three times either forced Bisson into a good save or was just too high, while John Nobes headed another chance over and Exall blasted another clear chance well wide.

Vale clung on to reach half-time with a semblance of a chance to turn things around, but on 56min. they were sunk once and for all.

Le Cras showed fantastic pace off the mark to latch onto Exall's pass inside the full-back.

His shot on the stretch crashed against the crossbar, but Vale were unable to clear the danger and seconds later Paul Nobes crossed from the left byline and Warren headed home from eight yards.

Four minutes later it was 4-1.

Vale were caught dozing as the ball went out on the far side, Paul Nobes took a quick throw and Vance, in the clear, lobbed past Bisson and into an empty net.

With the game entering stoppage time Warren, completed his hat-trick.

Get the champagne on ice.