NCEL: Hat-trick hero Mitch Hamilton hands Knaresborough Town victory

After a sensational start to his Knaresborough career in October, finding the net 12 times before Christmas, Hamilton has struggled this year and managed just three goals before Saturday.

The 17-year-old grabbed his first of the game on 33 minutes after Nick Radcliffe opened the scoring for Brian Davey’s side from a Graham Whitehead corner.

Knaresborough continued to press for a third after the break and were rewarded after 65 minutes when 19-year-old Brad Walker profited from Whitehead’s squared ball.

Hamilton hit his second and Knaresborough’s fourth after 79 minutes after good work from Ben Parkes down the right and he completed his second hat-trick for the club one minute from time.

Davey said: “It was a really good performance from the lads.

“We left Colin out because he’s not 100 per cent and I told Mitch and Brad this was there chance to play together and impress,.

“They’ve gone out there and played with no fear.

“Brad has scored one and he could have had a couple more in the game.

“It’ll be good confidence for them both going into the next couple of games.”

“They came into the match very, very weak and they’re going through a bit of a bad time, but our biggest problem was going two goals up and then taking our foot off the gas.

“I said at half time that we need to go at them and take as many goals as we can but I’m just happy because sometimes you can be dragged down to there levels in these games.”

Davey confirmed that while Heath was available for Knaresborough’s clash away at AFC Mansfield on Saturday, he would be sticking with his teenage strike force as they ‘deserve to keep their place’.

Mansfield sit 6 places and 18 points above Knaresborough but have picked up just one point from their last four games in Division One.

“Their form hasn’t affected us, we are preparing like we always do for our games. If they’re a good side and they are better than us then we will lose but if we play like we can then I expect us to win.

“The game is away from home and we have a fantastic away record this season but, like everybody, I want to see us score some more goals at Manse Lane.

“We have been playing well there and the performance on Saturday was very good and the supporters that I spoke to after the game said that they enjoyed it. But, they also said they had been missing goals at home as well.

“We look forward to all the games we’re going into, there’s never a time that we’re frightened.”