It was six of the best for AFC Liverpool as Kyle Schorah starred with a hat-trick in their emphatic 6-1 win over Burscough.
James Howell chipped in with a brace after Elliot Hughes opened the scoring inside two minutes. Ryan Katumba nodded, in what proved to be a consolation goal, for Linnets.
It was a nightmare start for Craig Davies who was in the home dugout for the first time at Bobby Langton Way, whilst joint manager Todd Blayney was away. Parity lasted just a matter of minutes when Hughes nipped in to snatch the ball before curling into the top corner from 12 yards.
Going a goal behind sparked the hosts into life as they enjoyed a dominant first 45. Wingers Robert Oseh and Junior Dos Santos proved difficult for the AFC Liverpool defenders.
And they both struck the post, firstly through Oseh who found the base of the post after his burst inside. Moments later, Dos Santos’ header hit the other post after rising highest from Tony Carney’s free-kick.
Edward Servuts then went close for Davies’ side when he raced onto a through bal, but he was denied by the legs of Jack McGovern.
In a rare sight of goal since opening the scoring, AFC went mightily close to doubling their lead – and they probably should have – when Hughes turned provider. His teasing cross fell to the feet of Schorah who couldn’t turn the ball home from inside the six-yard box.
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On the stroke of half-time, a clever piece of play from the visitors saw them land a second blow.
Quickly from the restart, Schorah picked up the ball from a short corner, his low effort deflected off a Burscough defender and through the legs of the helpless goalkeeper.
Following the restart, it was another slow start from the hosts. Soon enough, they found themselves three down.
A clearance saw Schorah enter on a foot race with Bradley Helms. The AFC-man won the battle, jinked his way right then left leaving Helms and Abidan Edwards, the Linnets goalkeeper, in his wake before slotting into an empty net.
After the hour mark, Burscough were forced into a change which saw Katumba enter the fray. The addition proved to add a much-needed spark for the hosts as he had three efforts on goal.
At the fourth time of asking, he headed home in the back post after losing his marker to pull a goal back.
However, their sniff of a comeback was emphatically extinguished as Matt Potter’s side fired three past Edwards in six minutes.
Firstly through the substitute, Howell, who had acres of space outside the box. From range, he unleashed a ferocious right-footed strike into the top-left corner, leaving Edwards rooted to the spot.
He then doubled his seasonal tally when his left-footed strike took a fortunate deflection and wrongfooted the Burscough shot-stopper.
In one of the final acts of the contest, Schorah danced past the green shirts and opted to go alone, despite a queue of AFC Liverpool players, before slotting into the bottom corner. And he almost had a fourth but his volley fizzed past the post.
AFC Liverpool go top after they maintained their 100 per cent record. Whilst, Burscough sit bottom.
Match Info
Burscough 1-6 AFC Liverprool
Scorers: 75′ Ryan Katumba; 2′ Elliot Hughes, 40′ 62′ 89′ Kyle Schorah (hat-trick), 83′ 84′ James Howell.
HT/FT Score: 0-2/1-6.
