FOLLOWING a disappointing recent run of form and results, Guisborough Town finally exploded into their devastating best when they powered into the next round of the FA Vase by thrashing Northern Counties East side Armthorpe Welfare 8-0 last Saturday.

The final result and the fast and free-flowing manner in which it was achieved was a source of huge pride to Guisborough manager Chris Hardy, who described the Priorymen’s pulsating performance as a “personal delight.”

Without Luke Bythway following his midweek transfer to arch-rivals Marske United, Hardy pushed hard-working and combative midfielder Steve Snaith up front to provide some much-needed extra bite and support for leading scorer Danny Earl.

The move worked a treat and with Chay Liddle and Gary Wood pulling the midfield strings, the Priorymen looked lively and penetrative and it was no surprise when they took the lead in the 19th minute. Danny McWilliams’ typically pinpoint corner found centre back Andy May, who volleyed home superbly to make it 1-0 to the Priorymen.

The lead was doubled in the second minute of first-half injury time when the lively Snaith was tripped in the penalty area and Earl thundered home the perfect spot kick into the corner of the net.

In the 64th minute, Kurt Round threaded a defence-splitting and beautifully-weighted through ball for Liddle to run on to and fire home the third goal. Just five minutes later, it was 4-0 when Jon Helm pulled the ball back perfectly for Snaith to pounce and score from close range.

Guisborough were on fire and it was no surprise when they went 5-0 up barely a minute later with probably the best goal of the match, Round scoring with a sublime shot from 20 yards out. Three minutes later, Guisborough made it four goals within nine minutes when Snaith again got into a good position in the penalty area and was upended by Armthorpe keeper Overton. Earl scored unerringly from the spot for the second time to put his side 6-0 up.

The hard-working Earl completed his hat-trick in the 82nd minute with a superbly worked goal when he burst through and scored brilliantly into the corner of the net. Not to be outdone, McWilliams confirmed his growing reputation as a specialist free kick-taker when he hammered home from just outside the Armthorpe penalty area to complete the scoring.

A minute later Armthorpe’s former Manchester United and Bradford City winger Ben Muirhead was sent off when he spoke out of turn once too often.

After the game, a delighted Hardy said: “An 8-0 home victory was the perfect tonic to get our FA Vase involvement well and truly up and running. In the opening half and for the first 10 minutes of the second half, our performance was very professional, producing a comfortable 3-0 lead and total control of the game.

“Then, to my own personal delight, for the remaining period of the second half the team really did find top gear, producing a further five goals with some really fluent, free-flowing football.

"This type of high-tempo play, which has been a great feature earlier in the season, has not been part of our game for the last few weeks, so to see us moving the ball around the pitch with the purpose we did proved to be very pleasing indeed.”

l Guisborough were drawn to play Team Northumbria at the KGV Stadium in the next round of the FA Vase on November 21.

Newton Aycliffe will visit Colne in the next round and Marske United are at home to Runcorn Linnets.