LUKE Mascall and Luke Todd both scored hat-tricks as Cleethorpes Town brought the curtain down on their Sills & Betteridge Lincolnshire League campaign with a 7-1 demolition of CGB Humbertherm on Tuesday evening.

Jonathan Oglesby scored the other Owls goal as Andy Liddle’s men finished the season with 87 points and 130 goals from their 32 games.

Liddle made three alterations to the starting eleven which sealed the title against Skegness United ten days earlier. Youngster Reece Newell replaced Alan Lamb in midfield while Renzie Lobendhan and Luke Todd came in up front at the expense of Phil Cawley and Ricky Belding.

Cleethorpes took no time at all to break the deadlock at Fulstow Playing Field, with Luke Mascall sliding the ball into an empty net after only three minutes, profiting from some nifty work from Jonathan Oglesby down the left.

Six minutes in, Clee extended their lead. Alex Flett’s fantastic long range pass picked out the run of Oglesby who smashed the ball in to the roof of the net.

With the league title already sealed, Cleethorpes could perhaps be forgiven for taking their foot off the gas – but in fact were playing some of their best football all season. A third goal came after 20 minutes when Oglesby’s vicious drive deflected off the head of Luke Todd and past the despairing Craig Ritchie in the CGB Humbertherm goal.

Gary Nimmo pulled one back for the home side just after half an hour, but just over a minute later Todd lashed in from close range to restore the three goal advantage – the referee unmoved by Humbertherm’s protestations that he handled the ball in the process.

With the destination of the league’s top scorer trophy still up for grabs, Mascall did his chances no harm by collecting his second of the day just before the break, tapping in after more impressive build-up from Todd and Oglesby.

Despite the fact that the match was, to some extent, a ‘dead rubber’ in terms of the league, Cleethorpes were successfully maintaining their good form with a league and cup double still up for grabs – the Owls take on Grimsby Borough Reserves in the Challenge Cup final on May 12th.

Seven minutes into the second period, the visitors found the net again. Mascall, who had just been struck in the face by a ferocious shot, stroked the ball in to collect his hat-trick and his 25th league goal of the season.

That puts him three goals ahead of his nearest goal-scoring rival, Skegness United’s Paul Watts, although United still have three games to play.

With the three points guaranteed and Challenge Cup final starting berths still up for grabs, Andy Liddle introduced a number of substitutes, with Miles Fenty, Micky Steer and Callum Day replacing Scott Drury, Alex Flett and Renzie Lobendhan respectively.

The seventh Cleethorpes goal came on the hour mark, as Todd completed his hat-trick with a convincing finish low to Ritchie’s right hand side.
Former Cleethorpes Town player Bradley McLaughlin was sent off shortly after for a second bookable offence, but the Owls couldn’t capitalise on facing a man less.

Mascall had a host of chances to add to tally, as did Daniel Barrett and Callum Day, but Humbertherm goalkeeper Ritchie was in sparkling form to limit the final score to 7-1.

Cleethorpes Town’s last game of the season is the Challenge Cup final against Grimsby Borough Reserves at Ashby Avenue in Lincoln. The match will take place on Saturday, May 12th (kick-off 6pm) and those interested in attending should keep an eye on the website for travel details.