Leverstock Green found their scoring boots at last as they racked up eight goals against a struggling Colney Heath side in Saturday's SSML Premier Division side. Missed chances have cost the Green side in recent games, but in this game top scorers Louis Bircham and Chris Blunden each notched hat-tricks as the goals flew in.

The first chance of the game came in the 12th minute when a shot from Tommy Walsh was turned round the post by visiting keeper Ollie Leslie. In the 19th minute Callum Wright ran into the box but as he tried to turn he was brought down by a challenge from defender Ed Gray. The referee pointed straight to the spot and Louis Bircham converted the penalty to open the scoring.

There had been little threat from Colney over the opening half-hour, but in the 31st minute they broke quickly, and Chinua Phinn-Archer got the better of James Budden before hitting a shot that beat Liam McDonagh at his near post for an equaliser very much against the run of play.

However, five minutes later Leverstock had the lead again. Jack Gilmartin pulled the ball back from the bye-line for Bircham, who didn't make the cleanest of contacts with his shot as Leslie got a hand to it, but the ball spun back into the net.

A minute later Leslie pulled off a great save to keep out a shot from Curtis Donaldson, but in the last minute of the half Wright got to the bye-line and squared across goal for Bircham to score with a simple tap-in and complete a first half hat-trick.

Leverstock continued to utterly dominate the game in the second half. In the 55th minute Wright crossed to Donaldson, whose header was saved by Leslie. Seconds later a pass from Wright put Bircham clean through, but Leslie deflected his shot wide with his legs. The fourth goal came in the 57th minute in strange circumstances. As Wright trapped the ball near the touchline, the linesman flagged for handball, but the referee, who had a better view, waved play on. However, the Colney players had all stopped, leaving Bircham all alone to slot home his fourth goal of the match.

Bircham gave way to Chris Blunden shortly after, but the fifth goal came from Luke Preedy, who got on the end of Wright's ball into the box with a superb strike on 64 minutes.

Further goals were inevitable, and Blunden notched his first of the game on 75 minutes when Ricky Dash's square ball set him up with a simple tap-in for 6-1. A minute later Blunden was denied as Leslie kept out his shot with a great save, and also turned a shot from Walsh wide on 78 minutes.

However, three minutes from time Blunden struck an excellent shot from the edge of the penalty area for goal number seven, and in the last minute he completed his hat-trick with a shot that squirmed through the unfortunate Leslie's hands for an 8-1 final score.

The result is a testament to the hard work that has been put in on and off the field by the players, management and commitee of the club this season, and will be a great confidence booster for games coming up, starting with next Saturday's visit to Sun Sports in the league.