Cymru North – eight-minute hat-trick from Holywell’s Jake Cooke is something special; Mold beat Hotspur

JD CYMRU NORTH – MARCH 18 REPORTS & TABLE

Penrhyncoch 0 Holywell Town 5

Johnny Haseldin had the perfect pre-match boost as the Holywell chief was named JD Cymru North Manager of the Month for February prior to his team’s visit to Penrhyncoch.

Sometimes, these awards can end up something of a jinx, but there was no fear of that as the Wellmen went on to record their 22nd consecutive league victory in some style.

The five-goal triumph nudged the Wellmen to within nine points of table-toppers Colwyn Bay with a game in hand.

The stage is now set for this Saturday’s Clash of the Titans between Bay and Holywell at the Four Crosses Construction Arena.

Star of the show last Saturday was eight-minute hat-trick hero Jake Cooke, who is having the season from heaven.

Cooke broke the deadlock in the 13th minute when he latched on to a smart headed flick from Dave Forbes.

Rounding keeper Oliver Fairbrother, Cooke then steadied himself in the mud, committed the defender on the line and slotted home with ease. There was something positively George Best-ish about the whole thing.

Cooke’s second was another gem of individual brilliance. Myles Hart lofted the ball out towards Cooke on the left, the Holywell man brought it down and outran marker Matthew Evans before applying a precision side-foot finish.

And in the 21st minute it was more of the same, Cooke receiving the ball on the left of the box and outfoxing Evans once more prior to placing the ball beyond Fairbrother for his treble.

Cooke then turned provider in the 26th minute, lifting the ball over the defence into the path of Forbes, who finished clinically for his 15th league goal of the campaign and 27th across all competitions.

The last thing Penrhyncoch needed was to be reduced in numbers, but that occurred nine minutes into the second half when Owain James hacked down Mark Winslade on the right and was shown a second yellow by referee Iolo Williams.

Holywell’s fifth goal in the 90th minute was the icing on the cake.

Forbes played a slick one-two down the left with a back-heeling Danny Andrews before drilling the ball low across the six-yard box where substitute Aidan Farren applied a simple finish.

Mold Alexandra 3 Holyhead Hotspur 1

Danny Warren struck twice as Mold made it five games without defeat with a deserved win over bottom side Holyhead.

Alex scored first on 25 minutes when Josh Watkin delivered a perfect cross from the right and Warren’s header found the net, despite the best attempts of keeper Ben Heald to keep it out.

In the 39th minute Warren turned provider for Haci Ozlu to double the lead.

Goal number three arrived with 55 on the clock.

A great passing move saw Ozlu cut into the area and find Alex Smith, who unselfishly set up Warren for his second.

Warren had chances to at least double his total and it was Hotspur who scored next with what turned out to be the final goal of the game, Dylan Summers-Jones firing in from the left.

A Watkin cross came back off the bar and Heald saved superbly with his legs to deny Warren a hat-trick.