RUTHLESS Pickering Town boss Mitch Cook was delighted to see his side “go to town” in their 11-0 mauling of Lincoln Moorlands Railway.

A trio of Pikes players netted hat-tricks in the Northern Counties East League premier division rout at the Recreation Ground, and the scoreline would have been even higher but for a man-of-the-match display by Moorlands ’keeper Richard Chester.

Second-from-bottom Lincoln have a minus-92 goal difference and the Pikes became the fifth team to put eight or more past them this season. They had also won 6-0 in the reverse fixture in September.

Despite the opposition’s struggles, Cook was heartened to see his side remain hungry for goals in the latter stages as they built on a 4-0 half-time lead, with Lincoln’s plight made worse by the 38th-minute sending-off of Francis Harkin for violent conduct.

Josh Greening netted on 10 minutes, 21 minutes and 82 minutes, while Joe Danby scored his treble in the 14th, 29th and 53rd minutes.

Jimmy Beadle struck four times in the second half – on 49, 57, 83 and 88 – and Lewis Taylor got in on the act in the 85th minute, all in front of a crowd of 120.

Cook said: “We were obviously expected to win, but when that is the case you have got to win in a good manner and we did that.

“If you win 1-0 or 11-0, you get only get three points, but when you win 11-0 it sends a message out.

“We were 4-0 up at half-time and I told the lads we needed to do a little bit better.

“They took that on board and went to town in the second half.

“It looked like we wanted to get more and in that situation it is unfortunate for Lincoln.

“It is good to have three players scoring hat-tricks – that doesn’t happen often.

“Josh hadn’t got a goal since I took over and they all needed goals, so it was an ideal game for them. Hopefully they will kick on now.”

With a rare free midweek this week, Cook was looking forward to getting on to the training pitch with his squad ahead of Saturday’s trip to Winterton Rangers (3pm) – whom the Pikes, then managed by Jimmy Reid, beat 7-1 on the opening day of the season.

Cook’s men then host Armthorpe Welfare next Tuesday, December 10, (7.45pm).

“We’ve not been able to train lately, but we have got a bit of time this week,” he said.

“We’ve just had three games in a week and we are unbeaten. We would have liked three wins but we’ve got two wins and a draw so there is a bit of progress going on.

“You are only as good as your next game though.”

Pickering: Myers, Hawkes, Batchelor(Fenwick 45), Patterson(Calvert53), Hackworth, Cook (O’Connor 53), Nock, Taylor, Danby, Beadle, Greening. Subs not used: Dalton, Giles.

Last Tuesday, the Pikes progressed into the last 16 of the League Cup by beating division one side Worsbrough Bridge 1-0 after extra time, in front of a crowd of 74.

The tie was just six minutes away from entering into a penalty shoot-out when Pickering’s Ged Dalton got the decisive goal.

Twenty-four hours earlier, Pickering Town Under-19s beat Glasshoughton Welfare 5-1 – with all five goals scored by Sam Calvert.

The young Pikes are currently top of the Northern Youth Alliance northern division after seven wins from seven games.

Their next home league game in on Monday, December 16, against Selby Town.