Glen Taylor stole the show as his hattrick helped Moors fell Radcliffe and clinch a fourth National League North victory in a row.
Moors opened the scoring on the 19th minute as Taylor slotted home with a first-time finish, before Danny Greenfield levelled things up just 12 minutes later as his cross-goal effort found the back of the net.
Taylor got his and Moors’ second of the evening as he thundered a strike into the top corner from close range early int the second half. The big number 9 then sealed his hat-trick on 69 minutes, converting from the penalty spot.
Radcliffe caused a scare as they got one back in the sixth minute of added time, but the mountain Moors had built for themselves was too steep for the visitors to climb and Graeme Lee’s men held on for three points.
Confidence showed early on as Taylor tried his luck from the halfway line, however, his effort didn’t have the length to reach the goal.
Matty Dolan then stepped up to take a freekick, guiding a strike on goal from 30 yards out, only to be stopped at full stretch by Mateusz Hewelt, who did well to palm the danger wide.
Moors found their opener less than 60 seconds later. They regained possession on the left-hand side, and Reece Staunton played an inviting ball to the back post where Taylor was on hand to finish low into the back of the net past Hewelt, who was given no time to react.
The lead was short lived, however, as former Moors man Greenfield found the net just after the half hour mark. Good play from the visitors saw Matt Sargeant break into the area, before playing a ball across to Greenfield, who powered home the equaliser.
The in-form Taylor almost got a second as he half volleyed a strong effort goalward, producing another good save out of Hewelt, who managed to get down to his left and prevent the reply.
Radcliffe tried their luck again in front of goal, this time through Tom Walker, who got his head on a good looking cross from Brad Jackson on the right-hand side. The number 17, however, couldn’t keep his header down.
Hewelt was yet again called into action on the 38th minute as he tipped Junior Mondal’s curled effort toward the front post wide of the mark.
It was all square at the break, with both sets of managers having a lot to think about for the second half.
Anthony Johnson and Bernard Morley’s men came out like a house on fire, trying to get on top in the opening stages. A long ball down the left saw a Boro man get free, and cross a delicious looking ball into the area, which Ben Pollock had to head behind out of danger.
Moors weren’t disheartened by the early pressure from the visitors, as shown by the confidence behind Olly Dyson, who leathered a clean 25-yard strike on goal that left the crossbar reverberating.
Lee’s side managed to get their second in the 52nd minute through another goal from Taylor. The captain was laid off by Rob Ramshaw to the left of the box and made no mistake as he thumped an emphatic effort into the top corner of the net.
That goal seemed to put Moors into the driver’s seat, as well as shake the Boro defence. A ball toward the penalty area was left to bounce awkwardly in front of Lois Maynard, which gave Corey McKeown an opportunity to capitalise. However, Hewelt was yet again on hand to prevent it.
Moors almost had their third of the evening as Staunton flashed a cross across the face of goal, looking for Mondal to turn home. However, the winger just couldn’t get that vital touch.
Greenfield went close on the 63rd minute as he found space on the right of the six-yard box. The midfielder’s effort took a deflection on the way through and looped just wide of the left post.
Taylor found himself called into defensive duties as he prevented Jordan Hulme’s hooked effort from finding the back of the net as he blocked the strike on the line.
The Moors skipper was given a golden opportunity to round of his hat-trick as he stepped up to take a spot kick won by McKeown, who had been brought down from behind. The record goal scorer tucked home into the bottom right of the net, sending Hewelt the wrong way.
Moors now firmly in control of the fixture, with Radcliffe struggling to pose a real threat. Scott Duxbury tried to spur his side back into the game, but his cross was easily held by Brad James.
Sargeant caused alarm for Graeme Lee’s men as his effort was parried back into danger by James, who was lucky a Moors man was in the area to lump the ball clear.
The visitors did pull one back in the dying embers of the game as Maynard headed home a consolation from a corner, but, despite Radcliffe’s best efforts, the game finished in Moors’ favour.
Yet another win on home soil for Moors, who keep up their attempts to break into the play-off spots. Focus now turns to fellow promotion hunters, Chorley who we travel to face at Victory Park this coming Saturday.
Full Time: Moors 3 Radcliffe 2
Moors: James, Dyson, Ledger, Pollock, Staunton, Dolan, Shrimpton, Mondal (Harris 70), Ramshaw, McKeown (Simpson 90+2), Taylor (Rutledge 82)
Subs not used: Myers, Johnson
Radcliffe: Hewelt, Roscoe (Smith 73), Thornley (Navarro 76), Maynard, Jackson (Hancock 77), Duxbury, Greenfield, Glendon (Dudley 77), Sargeant, Walker (Riley 77), Hulme
Booked: Sargeant 89
Referee: Darius Bradley
Attendance: 1,157
Written by Noah Betts
