Eastmoor Dragons 8 Thatto Heath Crusaders 46 CRUSADERS cruised into the fifth round of the League Express National Cup with this comprehensive defeat of National Conference Division One team Eastmoor Dragons without ever really having to move out of second gear.

The rout started on six minutes when stand-off Darren Harris and centre Anthony Marsh combined to send winger Mike Woods under the posts. Full-back Wayne Jackman tagged on the easy two points.

Eastmoor replied with a penalty by prop Stuart Turnton on 17 minutes but Heath were on the scoreboard again within five minutes when hard-working second-row David Lloyd broke down the middle before sending hooker Darren Mitchell saw the latter strolling in under the posts. Jackman converted to make it 2-12.

The visitors grabbed their third try when Harris sent Lloyd side stepping through from 25 yards out. Jackman again converted

Eastmoor again came back with Turton's second penalty and a spell of pressure and it required some sturdy defence by the visitors to keep them at bay.

Heath though finished the half with a Mike Woods 'special' after good inter-play by Mitchell, Harris and Marsh,leaving the half-time score 4-22.

Woods claimed his hat-trick three minutes into the second half after a good break by scrum-half Barry Ashall, a long ball over the top from the cheeky half-back sending the wigman sprinting clear to dive over in the corner.

Eastmoor registered their only try on 66 minutes after a rare lapse in concentration by Heath enabled Lee Whiteley to barge his way over right of the posts.

But minutes later it was business as usual with Crusaders back on the attack with Ashall and loose-forward Chris Honey paving the way for Lloyd to score his second try of the day.

Ashall himself was next on the scoresheet, taking a slipped pass from Lloyd to speed away from the defence to score between the sticks from 50 yards out.

On 70 minutes the ball flashed across the line releasing Woods down the wing again but this time he chose to return the ball to Marsh who then beat the full-back himself to score under the posts. Woods kicked the goal.

Then another great break by Lloyd set up the final score of the afternoon, substitute Phil Southward taking the ball on before somehow amazingly slipping the ball inside for the ever-supporting Mitchell to cross the whitewash.

Had Heath taken all of their scoring chances the score would have been in the 70s, but nevertheless this was a good performance which is sure to have the other sides left in the competition hoping to avoid the Crudsaders in the last 16.

The referee awarded the man-of-the-match to Darren Mitchell who had a good game but there was no doubt in the visitors' ranks that Lloyd was head and shoulders above the rest, with centre Jamie Hill also worthy of mention.

This week the club return to National Conference League action with a home game against Sheffield Hillsborough Hawks.