Hyde United 5-2 Lancaster City

Goals from Glenn Steel and Charlie Bailey either side of half-time proved to only be consolations as the Tigers were rampant, with Tom Pratt scoring a hat trick.

The Dollies suffered an early blow and fell behind just two minutes in.

A defence splitting pass was latched onto by the home captain, Pratt, who dinked it over the helpless Sam Ashton in the Dolly Blues’ goal.

City looked to respond right away and almost did.

Rob Wilson floated in a great corner which Steel met but his goalbound header was cleared away to safety.

A huge chance then went begging for Hyde when referee Jordan Crossley gave a dubious freekick which Liam Tongue cannoned off the woodwork.

However, Tongue wasn’t going to rue that missed free-kick and just moments later he had another bite at the cherry and curled one home to double his side’s lead.

Bailey tried to halve the deficit when he turned his man with ease but his shot was saved by Hyde goalkeeper Lloyd Allinson.

However, on the half-hour mark City did pull one back.

Another inviting corner from Wilson was met again by Steel who expertly volleyed it into the top corner.

Bailey then came a whisker away from equalising but his powerful shot was thwarted by Allinson.

Just before the half-time whistle blew Matty Blinkhorn turned and swivelled but the forward’s attempt was saved by the out-stretched Allinson.

As the second half got underway, it was déjà vu.

A teasing corner bobbled around the penalty box and deflected to John McCombe who poked it home to make it 3-1.

Before City could re-group, they found themselves three goals behind as Pratt again ran onto a through ball and fired past Ashton into the roof of the net.

The Dolly Blues’ first attempt of the second 45 brought back some renewed hope to Mark Fell’s men as Bailey unleashed a glorious curling effort which found the bottom right hand corner.

But that hope was quickly dashed as substitute Paddy Lane danced past two City defenders and played it across the box to Platt who sealed his hat-trick and made it five.

The opportunities for the tricky midfielder didn’t stop there.

Lane shifted the ball onto his left foot and set his sights for the far corner but it pinged off the post. Lane was a thorn in the City defence for large parts of the second half and again, he cut in from the right but his effort was put behind by Ashton.

The Tigers kept hunting for a sixth and they nearly got it when the ball was laid back to Tongue but his strike found the gloves of Ashton.

Just before the full time whistle blew, Iliman Ndiaye nearly rubbed salt in the wound.

His mazy run beat several Dollies players but like Tongue, his effort went straight down Ashton’s throat.

City welcome Gainsborough Trinity FC to the Giant Axe next Saturday where they’ll be looking to get back to winning ways.