FOOTBALL: A MAGNIFICANT seven helped Highgate record a comprehensive win against Ellesmere Rangers in the first qualifying round of the FA Vase.
Manager Ashley Pulisciano made just two changes to the line up which had won at Shawbury in midweek.
With both George Curry and Louis Harris unavailable, Pulisciano called on Aaron Brown and Scott Turner to fill in.
It took Gate just five minutes to open the scoring when Connor Mooney latched onto a nicely weighted through ball to beat goalkeeper Ben Astley-Shaw from six-yards.
Mike Nelson and Karl Bailey both squandered a couple of good, but rare, opportunities for the home side.
Those failed attempts on goal later proved costly as Mooney and Isaac Jagroop combined to double Gate’s lead through James Wilcock.
Goals from Lei Brown on 30 and 31 minutes further doubled Gate’s lead as the home side faced a four-goal deficit.
The second half followed the same pattern.
Though Gate failed to score in the opening 40 minutes, a late burst provided Highgate with three markers before the final whistle.
Marco Adaggio stroked home number five before Lei Brown took advantage of Mooney’s persistence by completing a personal hat trick with a shot squeezed under Astley-Shaw’s body.
Adaggio then rounded off Gate’s scoring deep into stoppage time.
Gate were rewarded for their efforts with a home tie on September 23 against North West Counties League Division One side Whitchurch Alport.
Elsewhere Highgate will be back in league action on Saturday against Loughborough University (3pm) before travelling to Bolehall Swifts for a Polymac Packaging League Cup encounter (7.45pm)
on Tuesday night.
