A PHIL Cawley hat-trick helped Cleethorpes to a convincing 7-1 win over Heckington United at The Linden Homes Club on Saturday, in a match sponsored by Linden Homes.

There were also goals from Alex Flett, Luke Mascall and Reece Newell as the Owls stretched their lead at the top of the Sills & Betteridge Lincolnshire League to 16 points.

Andy Liddle’s men laboured to a 2-0 win over Horncastle Town last week and he made two changes to the side that started that game – with Alan Lamb and Luke Mascall returning to the team in place of Micky Steer and Reece Newell, who both dropped to the bench.

Cleethorpes made a solid start to the game and, after Mascall almost put the home side ahead within 15 seconds, took the lead after only three minutes.

Mascall raced down the right before picking out the advancing run of Flett from central midfield. The ex-Bradford midfielder poked home from inside the six-yard box to put the Owls 1-0 up.

Five minutes later it was 2-0. Phil Cawley’s run towards the near post was fantastically picked out by Daniel Barrett’s cross and the big frontman glanced in.

Heckington were providing little resistance to the Cleethorpes onslaught and the third came just before the hour mark when Cawley tapped in after good build-up from Alan Lamb and Jonathan Oglesby down the left.

The match was effectively over after 35 minutes when Cawley swept the ball into the back of the net to claim his hat-trick after a well-weighted pass from Luke Todd.

The half-time score of 4-0 did not flatter Liddle’s side in the slightest and they had chances to add to that total – most notably just before the break when Luke Todd rounded the Heckington goalkeeper who recovered to thwart him.

Two goals in two minutes at the start of the second half did stretch that lead. First, a Mascall cross was directed into his own goal by Harry Kirwan before Mascall himself took advantage of some more tentative defending to tap home a sixth.

Clee dominated for the majority of the second half without creating too many clear cut chances.

Flett and Lamb, who were impressive in central midfield, were withdrawn with half an hour to play and replaced by Micky Steer and Reece Newell – the latter of whom should have made it seven shortly after but missed the target from eight yards out.

With time running out, Heckington pulled a goal back. Oglesby inexplicably blasted the ball across the pitch and straight to Luke Hollingworth, who steadied himself well to finish past Scott Drury.

That was just the second goal Cleethorpes Town had conceded since December 17th.

There was still time for the Owls to add a seventh in injury time. Reece Newell tucked the ball in from close range to atone for his earlier poor finish.

With Skegness United in Supplementary Cup action, the gap at the top of the league is now 16 points. A win for Cleethorpes Town at Louth Town Reserves next week would mean that a victory the following week, at home to Skegness United, should be enough to seal the title.