Leyton Pennant.............3

Barton Rovers...............0

(Ryman League Div One)

BILLY READ'S stunning eleven-minute hat-trick blew Barton away at blustery Wadham Lodge on Saturday.

The win -- only the third in the league this season -- was Pennant's second on the trot at home and lifts them up towards mid table safety after a troubled start to the season.

After a tense opening, the home side took control and made the most of the following wind to wrap the game up by half time.

A sweeping move saw Pennant snatch the lead on 22 minutes when the influential Jason Gerraghty got behind the Barton defence and pulled back a perfect cross for Read to side-foot home.

And Pennant made sure they rammed home the advantage they had given themselves with two further goals in 10 minutes.

Having seen a goal ruled out because the referee decided the ball had gone behind from the initial cross, Read recovered to prod in his second of the afternoon on 27 minutes after some excellent work by Billy Cove and Mitchell Evans.

With Rovers still reeling, Read reacted quickest to a loose ball and expertly lobbed the advancing keeper as he raced from his goal for the killer third on 33 minutes. Read almost snatched another just before the break but the shot lacked power and was parried.

Pennant made no mistake defending against the elements in the second half and could have increased their margin of victory if Billy Cove's effort had not been harshly ruled out for pushing.

LEYTON PENNANT: Cheesewright, Baffour, Hercules, Kent, Silk, Salmon, Gerraghty (sub: Lowe), Nelson, Evans (Dixon), Cove, Read. Sub not used: Riley.

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