The New Saints in seventh heaven

Goals from Ryan Brobbel and Danny Redmond carved a two-goal interval lead, before the floodgates opened in the second period with top scorer Greg Draper and sub Adrian Cieslewicz both netting twice along with Dean Ebbe.

Victory took the defending champions four points clear at the top with just four games remaining, and in sight of an eighth successive league crown.

The Saints – now 19 games unbeaten – proved too hot to handle and took a ninth minute lead with a neat finish from Brobbel – his 14th goal of the season.

Chances continued to flow and the visitors eventually turned their dominance into a second goal three minutes before half-time when Draper pulled back for Redmond to drill a low shot inside the left post. Any hopes of a home fightback quickly faded two minutes into the second period as the impressive Draper made it 3-0 from Jamie Mullan’s assist.

Draper was hungry for more, first being denied in a goalmouth scramble and then by the offside flag, while at the other end Stuart J Jones had a header blocked on the line.

But there was no way back for the Lakesiders once Cieslewicz headed home Mullan’s cross with his first touch on 67 minutes, and another sub Ebbe made it five when nodding in Kane Lewis’ assist seven minutes later.

Draper, who proved a threat all night, bagged his second four minutes from time with a crisp shot into the roof of the net for his 21st goal of the season.

Cieslewicz then rounded off the romp in style when smashing home a first-time effort from the edge of the box in the dying moments.