Gr-eight expectations! Moneyfields return to Wessex League summit with another stunning goal spree

Ryan Pennery has just scored one of his three goals in Moneyfields' 8-1 hammering of Fareham. Picture by Nathan Lipsham

Both strikers fired hat-tricks as Moneys followed up an 8-0 hammering of Bournemouth Poppies with an 8-1 destruction of Fareham Town on Tuesday.

Pennery has now bagged 20 league and cup goals in 19 starts this season, while former Fareham forward Laycock has netted 18 in 17 competitive starts.

Pennery’s second successive step 5 treble means he has now scored in each of his last nine league and cup outings, with 16 goals over that period.

Laycock has now scored 13 times in his last 11 appearances.

The Creeksiders’ cause was not helped by having defender Saul Thorpe sent off in the first half - at just 1-0 down - for a second bookable offence in a game played at AFC Portchester’s On-Site Group Stadium.

Kieran Clark conceded an own goal against his former club and Fareham’s agony was complete when sub Munir Hadi grabbed his first Moneys goal just minutes after Matt Pates’ consolation.

The victory took Moneys back to the Wessex Premier summit, two points clear of Portchester with both sides having played 12 games.

The top two don’t meet each other until two days before Christmas, a fixture scheduled for Moneys’ much-delayed John Jenkins Stadium.

“We are doing alright,” said Moneys boss Glenn Turnbull, in what could be considered the understatement of the season.

“It’s all the old cliches, isn’t it? We’re just taking it one game at a time.

“If this were an 800m race, you don’t win a gold medal if you’re leading after 200m.”

Turnbull continued: “I said at half-time, as we were 2-0 up and they were down to 10 men, I wanted us to be ruthless and nasty in the second half, and I don’t mean nasty as in being physical.

“So to win the second half 6-1 was pleasing.”

A 10th successive Wessex Premier victory was achieved without Harry Sargeant, who suffered broken ribs in his man of the match display in last weekend’s FA Vase win at Tadley.

Centre half Tom Cain, out since late August with a knee injury, could be another two months away from returning to action.

Lawrence Cooper (ankle) and Elliott Turnbull (hamstring) also missed the Fareham rout and Josh Hazell was absent sick.

“We made a conscious effort to reduce the size of the squad this season,” explained Turnbull. “I wouldn’t say, like Harry Redknapp, that we’re dow to the bare bones but we’re on the precipice of needing to go out and get one or two in.”

For Fareham, it was a second thrashing in their last three Premier fixtures, having lost 6-1 at a Brett Pitman inspired Shaftesbury earlier in the month.