Thurlow Nunn Premier Hadleigh United 1 Stowmarket Town 5 Stowmarket Town swept aside Hadleigh United 5-1 at the Millfield last night to move into the top half of the Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division table.

Josh Mayhew scored four of the five Stow goals to take his tally for the season to 15 in as many games, while substitute George Bugg came off the bench to score his fourth of the campaign.

Mayhew gave the Old Gold and Blacks the perfect start, scoring inside the first five minutes. A driving run in midfield from Jack Baker led to the ball finding Ethan Clarke on the edge of the box, and his cross was met by the head of Mayhew at the far post, with Hadleigh goalkeeper Nick Punter unable to stop the ball from crossing the line.

Tom Driscoll replied for Hadleigh midway through the first half, firing Kyron Andrews’ low cross emphatically into the roof of the net, after Mayhew had lost possession near the halfway line and the hosts broke quickly to equalise.

Parity would last for just five minutes though, as Rick Andrews’ men regained their lead with a well-worked team move. Luke Read’s neat pass sent Ollie Brown down the left wing and his cross was bundled home by Mayhew to put the visitors back in front on 28 minutes.

Mayhew found the target once again to complete his hat-trick just before the hour mark.

Moments later the Old Gold and Blacks were indebted to a player at the other end of the pitch, as goalkeeper James Bradbrook kept out a penalty from the visitors, diving to his right and correctly guessing to preserve his side’s two-goal cushion.

Buoyed by Bradbrook’s penalty save, the visitors struck twice more in the final 20 minutes to finish the match out of sight. Firstly, Bugg raced through and chipped the ball over a stranded Punter on 70 minutes, before Mayhew notched his fourth of the night to move a goal clear at the top of the Premier Division golden boot standings.

After Brown’s shot had been pushed away by Punter, Read got to the rebound first and teed up Mayhew to bag his 15th goal of the season and wrap up a 5-1 victory for the Old Gold and Blacks.

The win has moved Stow up into 12th in the Premier Division table ahead of a trip to third-from-bottom Long Melford this Saturday (3pm).