Hanwell 5-0 Lordswood 0 - FA Vase 3rd round

Goal machine Bill Healey helped Hanwell rewrite their record books by leading a demolition of Lordswood on Saturday.

Healey bagged a hat-trick in a fraction over half an hour to send the magpies into the fourth round of the FA Vase for the first time in their history – all in front of their patron and most high profile supporter Ealing North MP Stephen Pound.

Yet while the prolific striker will once again grab the headlines, wingers Connor Duffy and Kyle Watson were both outstanding, while Tom Duffy and Ricky Pither added further goals in the second half on a day when the hosts hit the woodwork three times and even had the luxury of missing a late penalty.

Today’s draw could pair Hanwell with any of the remaining sides anywhere in the country, but with 37-goal Healey in their ranks the men of Reynolds Field should fear no-one.

The home side swarmed all over their opponents from the opening whistle, forcing a corner inside the first 10 seconds.

Connor Duffy’s excellent in-swinging delivery was punched to the edge of the box by Lordswood keeper Adam Highstead where Pither met it on the volley, smashing the ball against the bar.

The Kent Senior League side were not reprieved for long as the very next corner saw Hanwell seize the lead with less than two minutes on the clock.

Connor Duffy produced another excellent delivery to the near post where Healey got ahead of the defence to head home from close range.

In truth Lordswood never recovered from the early shock and suffered almost throughout what was for them a torturous 90-plus minutes.

Healey should have claimed a second on 16 minutes. Kyle Watson – an inspiration on the left wing – did brilliantly to rob his full-back and tee-up the leading scorer, but with a clear sight of goal for once he got it all wrong, producing a shot which went out for a throw. He is human after all.

His next effort was on target, but straight at the keeper, but it was just a matter of time before he doubled the lead on 23 minutes.

A corner from the right was superbly retrieved by Tom Duffy and though his ball back across the box was too long it was played back into the path of Tom Kennedy whose sumptuous cross saw Healy produce a header to match which flew beyond the despairing dive of Highstead.

Benniman’s excellent challenge denied Healey a third four minutes later, but it only delayed the inevitable as the hat-trick was complete on 31 minutes.

This time it was strength of Healey which created the chance as he outmuscled a defender to latch onto a long ball, before stepping inside another challenge and firing inside the far post.

The goal marked the sixth time this season Healey has scored three goals or more

Home keeper Fanner, a spectator to this point raced out at the feat of Rhys Lawson and Rowlands blocked an effort from James Simmons as the visitors briefly threatened before the familiar pattern of domination was re-established.

Pither saw another long-range deflected wide, while Healey was just off target with a spectacular bicycle kick and in stoppage-time Connor Duffy’s thunderous drive left the far post shaking for most of the half-time interval.

The break was merely a respite for beleaguered Lordswood as Hanwell continued the onslaught immediately after the restart.

Highstead’s legs denied Connor Duffy a richly deserved goal before holding a stinging effort from Watson.

However, the inevitable fourth goal came on 58 minutes as Tom Duffy pulled off his markers to the far post to head in a corner from the left unopposed.

The visitors had thrown on substitutes Tom Box and Will Mawson in a bid for respectability and both came close to a goal 20 minutes from time, the former’s shot forcing a smart save from Fanner, while the follow-up effort from Mawson was superbly blocked by Kennedy.

Hanwell’s fifth soon followed with Healey this time playing provider, flicking a free-kick from the left into the path of Pither who finished clinically for a goal his performance deserved.

The hat-trick hero gave way to Eoin Casey with six minutes left, while Chris Mills was also given a late run-out.

The latter might have wished he had been left on the bench after blasting a penalty way over the top with two minutes left after Watson had been tripped.

The entertainment continued into stoppage time with Lordswood substitute George Hayes forcing a superb diving save from Fanner.

Fittingly though the last chance of the game came Hanwell’s way as Casey’s crisp drive saw the home side hit the woodwork for the third time in the afternoon, Highstead preventing a sixth with a fine stop from Mills’ follow-up effort.