After his match-winning turn off the bench on Tuesday night, Jay Davis was unsurprisingly handed his first start of the season ahead of Tabish Hussain whilst Jamie Barkway replaced Sam Denton at the back. It's been said that no player ever truly leaves Garforth, and after Jack McGahan's return last weekend there was another today in the form of midfielder Charlie Marshall who's back on Cedar Ridge after becoming unsettled at Scarborough Athletic.

Promising approach play not being finished off has been a familiar problem for The Miners this season, but both elements came together yesterday in devastating fashion as the hapless hosts were put to the sword. In the last competitive meeting here five years ago it was Garforth on the end of a 7-0 drubbing against opponents managed by one P Marshall, but any bad memories (particularly for then-acting manager Mark Smitheringdale and players Dan Coupland and Lee Turner who both started) were soon banished as we found ourselves 5-0 up by the break. It was hard not to feel sorry for Pikes keeper Toby Wells, facing his old club for the first time since leaving last month, who couldn't be faulted for any of the goals, such was the quality of our finishing.

Town opened the scoring with their first attack on 10 mins. The ball was played down the right to Jay Davis who did well to pick out Sam Barker in the box who struck coolly into the bottom corner of the net. Nash Connolly soon made it 2-0 from another Davis assist; receiving the ball just inside the area, he sidestepped his man and beat Wells with a smart finish.

Looking to add to Tuesday's brace, Davis put a curling strike just beyond the far post on 18 mins when teed up by Coupland, but soon put himself on the scoresheet when he was played in by Connolly on the edge of the box and fired into the far corner.

The Pikes looked to reduce the arrears with Rob Guilfoyle forcing a crucial block from Jamie Barkway at the expense of a corner kick. The action soon resumed down the other end however, with Town's movement leaving the home defence chasing shadows. Wells denied Rinor Ejupi with his feet at the near post, then kept out Harry Viggars at close range from Barkway's delivery to the far post, but in doing so clattered into the upright. Happily he was able to continue after treatment. That would be Viggars' last contribution to the game who had to be replaced by Sam Denton a minute before half time due to a calf problem. It wasn't the last action for his teammates left on the field though as Garforth ran in two more goals in the remaining minutes. Connolly grabbed his second of the game from a third Davis assist, firing into the roof of the net. Arguably the goal of the game followed moments later. A Davis cross was headed on by a defender straight to the unmarked Ejupi who scored with a fierce volley. A first goal in almost a year for the midfielder-turned-fullback which was well worth the wait.

Flatters still had to be alert deep into injury time, keeping out Guilfoyle's half volley from Paul Roddam's flick over the top.

On 52 mins Flatters denied Wayne Brooksby's 25-yard free-kick. It was soon six however on 57 mins and a brace for Davis. Ejupi did well on the left and played the ball across to Barker. Barker then found Davis who beat two men and finished across Wells into the bottom corner of the net.

Connolly almost completed his hattrick on 64 mins when sub Jordan Emery picked him out, but he couldn't get good contact on the ball and Wells managed to claim. Soon after the hosts were temporarily reduced to ten men when Jamie Thornton was sent to the sin-bin for remarking to the referee on what an upstanding member of the community he was. The opportunity was taken by manager Paul Marshall to make a double substitution, Marshall and Turner replacing Connolly and Davis.

Guilfoyle did his best to get his team on the scoresheet and was unlucky not to once more on 71 mins when Flatters tipped his thundering strike onto the bar. Shortly after it was 7-0 when Barker did brilliantly to win the ball back in the centre of the park and play in Turner who turned his man and scored with a deflected shot across Wells. Emery almost added to the goals when the ball was half-cleared after Barker weaved his way in from the right; his drive deflected into the side netting.

Sub Tabish Hussain forced a stop by Wells from Marshall's assist, then shortly after Hussain's free kick found an unmarked Barker who headed just beyond the far post.

Injury time saw chances for both sides - Guilfoyle's deflected shot hit the foot of the post before Flatters denied a powerful strike from sub Wayne Kitula after he jinked his way in from the left. Marshall almost scored on his return when supplied by Barker to his right, but his effort went wide of the near post.

The Miners will look to make it four wins from four when we host Albion Sports this Tuesday (kick-off 7:45pm).