Vikings retain cup as hat-trick hero Harding strikes against Swifts (From Western Telegraph)

Vikings retain cup as hat-trick hero Harding strikes against Swifts

6:04pm Saturday 14th April 2012 in Sport

Hakin United 5
Monkton Swifts 0

Hakin United grabbed five goals to comfortably overcome Monkton Swifts to retain the Senior Cup at the Bridge Meadow Stadium.

Vikings’ striker Justin Harding grabbed the headlines with a superb hat-trick alongside other goals from team-mates Michael Cooper and Jonathan Bennett.

Gary Dawes’ Hakin United outfit scored three quick-fire goals in 20 minutes to catch the Swifts completely cold.

Bennett scored the opener when he slid home from close range on five minutes. Five minutes later and Stevie Mathias slipped a precise through ball to Harding, who obliged for his side’s second. Nine minutes later and Michael Cooper rose highest in the box to nod home from a corner.

The Swifts were not at the races as the Vikings pressed for more goals in the second half. They were rewarded when Harding blocked keeper Lance Creese’s poor clearance and was left with the simplest of tasks and knock the ball in the empty net for the fourth. And ten minutes from full time Harding was in the right place at the right time to drive in the fifth and complete a superb treble for the man of the match.

Hakin United: Stephen Hartley, Leigh Broome, Steven Allen, Ewan Findlay (Captain), Andrew Kingston, Jonathan Bennett, Paul Jones, Michael Cooper, Ashley Bevan, Steven Mathias, Justin Harding. Substitutes: Kristan Bennett, Scott Davies, Kieran Rendell.

Monkton Swifts: Lance Creese, Lee Evans, James Russell, Shaun Jones, Ben Jones (Captain), Dan Harts, Michael Canton, Ben Steele, Daniel Scourfield, Lee Brockway, Tom Meiring. Substitutes: Clem Boswell, Matthew Davies, Tom Baldry.

Referee: Kevin Milich.

Assistants: Helmut Reinhardt and Phil Gale.

Fourth official: David Badger.