STEETON put their poor league form behind them to ease through to the second round of the North West Counties Football League's Macron Cup with a 5-1 thrashing of Darwen on Saturday.

Despite their last visit to the WEC Anchor Ground ending in a 2-1 defeat, the Chevrons started this match like a train, with Toby Jeffrey and captain Andy Briggs firing them into a two-goal lead inside 16 minutes, before Nathan Bond quickly halved the deficit.

Though the hosts found themselves on the front foot for large parts, Chris Lynch’s red card turned the game in Steeton’s favour, with Mo Farhan Subhani capitalising on a goalkeeping error before Briggs completed a fine hat-trick late on.

Manager Roy Mason called for more of the same intensity that saw his side progress to the second round of the West Riding County Cup in midweek, a game that saw them down neighbours Silsden 3-1.

He named an unchanged side from that encounter, but was also able to include new signings Foley Nkem and Jonathan Hodgkinson on the bench.

And that decision looked to have paid off almost instantly, with the Chevrons opening the scoring after just eight minutes.

Having piled forward for a free-kick, Darwen were caught on the break, with Farhan Subhani finding Jeffrey down the right wing to fire an angled drive from the edge of the box under Max Clayton and into the bottom left corner.

Darwen’s shaky start continued, with the Chevrons deservedly doubling their lead in the 16th minute.

Jeffrey and right-back Josh Walne exchanged passes down the wing, with the latter delivering a teasing cross into the box for Briggs to tap in at the near post.

A nasty tackle saw Jeffrey substituted with a toe injury 10 minutes later, before the hosts netted with their first attack of the match.

The Chevrons failed to clear a corner, with a header cannoning off the crossbar before falling at the feet of Bond, who arrowed the ball into the back of the net on the half volley.

It was Darwen who continued to see the better of the play before the break, with the visitors having goalkeeper James Catlow to thank for tipping an effort on to the crossbar in injury-time to retain their advantage at the interval.

The hosts started the second half in the same manner in which they had finished the first, with Catlow again sparing Steeton with a double save from close range, first blocking a goalbound effort with his foot before tipping the rebound just over.

Some tasty tackles were made by both sides, with the referee not afraid to let his feelings known.

And it was a disciplinary lapse from a Darwen player that turned the game firmly in Steeton’s favour, reducing the hosts to 10 men in the 80th minute.

Zack Sangster’s strike was deflected on to the base of the post and out for a corner, with Lynch sent off for foul and abusive language while lining up for the set piece.

Though the corner came to nothing, the Chevrons made their man advantage count with eight minutes remaining.

Clayton was only able to parry Sangster’s strike into the path of Farhan Subhani, who made no mistake to power just his second goal in green and white into the back of the net from close range.

Just four minutes later Steeton had their fourth, with Briggs meeting Callum Buttle’s lofted pass to side-foot the ball home at the near post.

The visitors rounded off a fantastic afternoon deep into added time, with substitute Ben Wignall sending a perfectly-weighted cross-field pass to Briggs, who slotted the ball under Clayton to round off his hat-trick.

The Chevrons will travel to Bacup Borough in the second round of the competition on Saturday, November 19, with their attention now turning to the re-arranged visit of Runcorn Town to Marley this weekend.