Owen Gallacher fired an impressive hat-trick as Moors enjoyed a comfortable victory over Newcastle Blue Star in their penultimate friendly of pre-season on Tuesday night.
Corey McKeown, Will Harris, Connor Shanks were also on target during an encouraging performance at The Brewery Field with the new National League North campaign less than two weeks away.
Moors took only 11 minutes to move in front when great work from Corey McKeown down the left saw him ghost inside before delivering a low cross-shot across goal which was turned home by Owen Gallacher.
Mark Anderson had a couple of half chances to have increased the lead before McKeown made it 2-0 on 36 minutes, racing on to Ben Pollock’s ball over the top and clinically finishing low across the keeper from the left corner of the area.
It was 3-0 a minute later when Blue Star failed to clear their lines effectively and Gallacher rammed home an unstoppable shot from just inside the box for his second of the night.
Will Harris got in on the act just before half time when he was fed the ball on the left of the area and he guided a fantastic low finish into the bottom right corner of the net to make it 4-0.
Moors continued where they left off at the start of the second half as Gallacher completed his hat-trick, sliding in to beat the defender to a low ball in from the left and steer it in off the near post for 5-0.
Harris could have made it six just after the hour mark when he was slipped through superbly by McKeown, but the Blue Star keeper got down well to his left to make the save.
Lovely football from Moors freed half time substitute Josh Doherty down the left and his flighted cross was knocked back across goal by Sam Fielding only for Danny Greenfield to blaze his shot over.
Greenfield had another chance not long afterwards when Blue Star cleared a cross from the right into the path of the midfielder on the edge of the area, but his snapshot flew too high.
Rob Ramshaw was on the end of an intricate passing move from Moors, but the midfielder also leant back on his shot and sent it over the top as Blue Star escaped further punishment once more.
The visitors then grabbed a consolation goal when dangerman Nelson Ogbewe did brilliantly to muscle his way in behind the Moors defence before prodding a low finish past young keeper Ryan Johnson.
However, Connor Shanks restored the five-goal lead with a couple of minutes remaining when he rifled a low drive into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.
Full Time: Moors 6 Newcastle Blue Star 1
Moors: Johnson, Mbeka, Pollock, Ledger (Ferguson 66), Staunton (Doherty 46), Fielding (Atkinson 78), Anderson (Ramshaw 73), McKeown (Mouat 78), Greenfield, Gallacher (Shanks 66), Harris (Ross 73).
Referee: Martin Coy
