RADCLIFFE BORO...5

STOCKSBRIDGE PARK STEELS...0

TOP of the morning! That's how Radcliffe Borough's players must have been feeling when they got out of bed on Wednesday writes STEVE BOTT.

The night before they had turned in a five-star performance that left everyone that saw it well impressed after seeing goal ace Jody Banim takes his tally to 15 for the season with two more goals, closely follwed by midfielder eamon Elliott, who now has nine, with substitute Dave Collins coming on late in the game to make it a nap hand with his first scoring strike of the season.

Not a bad liitle haul as Boro confirmed their right to the number one spot in the UniBond Division One table.

Stocksbridge went into the game lying two from bottom. They finished fourth last season and with former Manchester City and Stoke City player Wayne Biggins and ex-Bury favourite Liam Robinson still in their squad, there was no danger of Boro taking them lightly. Quite simply, though, they just took them. Richard Landon fired a warning shot when he hit a post in the fourth minute -- nine minutes later Banim claimed his first after the first of many delightful moves on the night.

Richard Battersby swung in a right-footed corner from the left-hand flag, Landon headed on at the near post and Banim fired the ball high into the roof of the net close to the far post.

Boro continued to dominate throughout the first half as Stocksbridge struggled to put together any sort of pattern of play.

It wasn't until bang on half-time though that Banim struck again with a goal that simply took the breath away.

A little jink on the left-hand side of the penalty area was followed by a cracking shot into the far top corner of Ross Turner's net. Something to talk about over the half-time pie and Bovril then!

Eamon Elliott was next on target, nine minutes into the second period. A great through ball played him into the box and he calmly came out on top with his one-on-one with Turner in the Stocksbridge goal.

Three nil -- and seven minutes later it was 4-0. Banim fired in a shot that Turner saved at close quarters, but Elliott was on hand to drive in the rebound from the left hand-side of goal.

Stocksbridge finally got a look in on 64 minutes when centre back Russell Green blasted in a tremendous long range drive that Danny Hurst did extremely well to keep out of the Boro goal.

Eight minutes later Hurst was in action again, saving from Stocksbridge substitute Robinson.

Thanks a lot lads. Now we've had abreather we'll just complete the job . . . with a new staff!

Boro manager Kevin Glendon sent on Ian Lunt and Dave Collins for Banim and Landon on 78 minutes and Eamon Kelly two minutes later for midfield ace Elliott.

The three newcomers cobined superbly for Boro's fifth and final goal in the last minute. Lunt went down the left, passed inside to Eamon Kelly, who in turn set up Collins for a shot that found its way into the left hand corner of the net.

Game, set and match. Next please!

RADCLIFFE BOROUGH: Hurst 8; Battersby 9, G Wilson 8, Bean 8, Price 8, Whealing 8; Walker 7, S Kelly 7, Elliott 8; Banim 9, Landon 8. Substitutes: Lunt and Collins (for Banim and Landon, 78 mins), E Kelly (for Elliott, 80 mins). Attendance: 124.