Middlewich Town 6 St Helens 1

MIDDLEWICH Town got off the mark in the JA Walton Challenge Cup on Saturday when they hit St Helens for six in Group B.

Having opened their cup campaign with two defeats, a hatful of goals lifts them to second in the group with five of the six sides level on points.

The Witches have now won five successive matches in all competitions, scoring 21 goals, with Sam Wakefield bagging a brace and Dean Burgess, Matthew Cann, Joe Devaney and Jack Weedall all on target.

The hosts headed into the break on level terms, but four goals in the final 10 minutes put the result beyond doubt.

Wakefield opened the scoring just before the quarter of an hour mark when he latched onto James Dean’s volleyed ball to round the keeper and finish.

Josh Pilkington replied for the visitors before the break, but Town regained the lead four minutes after the interval when Wakefield stroked home a second.

It took until 10 minutes from time for the Witches to further their lead, with substitute Burgess heading into the net with his first touch.

Town made it four moments later when Devaney and Evans combined to find Cann, who side-footed past the keeper.

Devaney smashed home a fifth from the edge of the box in added time, before Weedall completed the rout.

Town host Cheshire League champions Linotype in the Cheshire FA Amateur Cup last 16 on Saturday, kick off 1.30pm.