THERE was no faulting Blackburn Eagles when it came to commitment and endeavour.

But playing a team from a higher division was always going to be a thankless task – especially when you don’t have a regular keeper.

The Eagles swapped and changed their number one in an effort to keep out the goals but the truth was Crown Paints were simply too good for them.

However, credit must go to the Eagles who never once gave up the fight and a goal would have been just rewards.

The did actually score the first goal of the game but unfortunately for them, it came off the own player – but Adam Brooks could do little about deflecting Charlie Burke’s drilled corner in to his own net.

It quickly became apparent that Crown’s captain Luke Thompson, the nippy Toby Gouldthorpe and striker Liam Atkinson were the men to watch.

And some brave defending by Blessing Chikota and Jack Wilson kept Crown at bay until Atkinson crossed for Thompson to tuck home the first of his five goals.

Thompson grabbed his second soon after with a crisp drive then completed his hat-trick when a Gouldthorpe pass put him through on goal.

But Eagles refused to give in and Brooks recovered from his early setback with some driving runs down the right flank while there was no-one more hungry than Coby Hargreaves who covered every blade of cross for the Eagles cause.

But they failed to get the ball up to the isolated Emanuele Passerini who worked hard as the lone striker but with little reward.

Crown went 5-0 up just before the break when Thomas Watson nip through to score.

Eagles went in search of a goal after the restart and Hargreaves and Chikota both went close.

But it was Crown who continued to score. Thompson side footed home his fourth before Ibby Patel cracked home two long range efforts.

Thompson tapped in his fifth, Atkinson rammed home from range and Watson completed his hat-trick with a quick double on the stroke of full time.