SAM Young's hat-trick inspired Frolesworth United to their first away win in the league this morning, as they ran riot to smash seven for only the second time in their history past an under par Niffy Rangers side in snowy conditions at Horsewell Lane.
Young made it five goals in just two appearances for the Rabbits this season and strikers Joe Cook and Callum Wills both helped themselves to a brace each as a rampant United moved into the third and final promotion spot at the turn of the New Year.
Ben Harris' side twice fell behind in the opening 10 minutes, but they bravely fought back through the imperious Wills before Cook volleyed the visitors in front on 24 minutes. It was a lead that they would not relinquish too, as Young grabbed his first with a low drive eight minutes before the break.
Niffy did show a brief resistance when they reduced the arrears two minutes into the second half, but Young's sumptuous free-kick put the Clarets out of sight before he completed his hat-trick in the dying seconds after Cook had added United's sixth.
Harris' charges made the treacherous journey to Wigston off the back of a enthralling fight-back against local rivals Dunton & Broughton Rangers last week to preserve their unbeaten home record, but they remained without a win on the road since September 18 and with just one win in seven attempts away from their fortress, Dunley Way.
The manager made a staggering six changes to the side that rescued a point a week previous, welcoming Sam Green back in goal at the expense of Luke Evans after he recovered from an injured hand and impressed for the under-18s during Wednesday night's goalless draw with Nuneaton.
Captain Mark James and converted right-back Sam Pratt were the only survivors from a defence that had leaked a staggering 14 goals in just three matches and Martin Fennon returned at centre-half, meaning Jack Boulton was once again exiled as a makeshift left-back.
Harris opted for a 4-3-3 following last season's disappointing 2-1 defeat at Rangers' hands and Dominic Ivens, who completely changed the game after coming on as a substitute at half-time last week, returned to start alongside Jake Pantony and Young.
Frolesworth also welcomed back another fans' favourite in the shape of Gregory Garner, who was employed on the right of a three-pronged attack, which predictably included the formidable partnership of Wills and Cook, in spite of Harry Simmons' late heroics last week.
The substitutes bench consisted of chairman Josh Baines, club secretary Evans, Joe Swanwick and Harry Simmons, meaning there was no place in the squad for the unavailable Harvey Morgan and Daniel Herring and Jack Sutherland, Tom Stokes, Dan Morrow, Miles Splevings and Max Hallam all failed to show.
Kick off was delayed until 11am due to the intermittent December snowfall, and when play finally commenced it was the visitors who were caught cold and they found themselves a goal down inside the opening 180 seconds.
If Harris was unhappy with the manner of the goals his team had conceded of late, he would have been tearing his hair out as his words of wisdom fell on deaf ears when United once again played themselves into huge trouble and proved to be the architects of their own downfall.
With the pitch covered in a delicate carpet of slippy white snow and the squalling, bitterly cold wind swirling around Horsewell Lane, midfield magician Pantony once again insisted on passing the ball deep inside his own half, but his over-weighted pass skipped off the surface into the path of Danny Thompson, who gave the hosts the lead.
There had been early indications that United could exploit Rangers' full-backs through their pacy wide men though and just two minutes later, Wills breached the offside trap to round the advancing keeper and slot into an empty net to haul Frolly level.
A frantic opening 10 minutes yielded another goal just four minutes later though, when it was the turn of returning goalkeeper Green this time to make an error as he misjudged a bouncing ball and he could only parry the ball towards Rory Cuthbert, who restored Niffy's advantage.
But his blushes were spared in the 16th minute by old chum Wills, who notched his sixth goal in just three games after he had endured a five-game barren spell. But as the old adage goes, form is temporary, class is permanent and that certainly has proved correct this season as Frolesworth's star signing once again rounded the goalkeeper to notch a landmark 10th of the campaign in a carbon copy of his first
It took United just eight minutes to find the net once again, but they had to thank Fennon for keeping them on level terms after he made the first of two goal-line interventions before Cook edged the visitors in front for the first time in the contest.
The former Coventry City man managed just seven goals last season, but he has surpassed that tally before Christmas this time round following the return of play-maker Ivens and arrival of Wills and the two have now began to develop a blossoming partnership, but the former was determined not to be outdone by his strike partner and he met Ivens' pin-point cross with a well-uted volley from close range.
He had the chance to convert his second shortly after, but his attempted lob drifted harmlessly wide of the upright before Young burst through with a determined run to make it 4-2 eight minutes before the break.
The home side had managed to chalk up just one point in their previous three fixtures and they continued to look out of sorts, but despite their dominance sensibility reigned supreme in the dressing room as a United knew the next goal could prove to be crucial.
And true to Harris' word, United were once again slow out of the traps as they conceded within two minutes of the restart. Green once again struggled to deal with a powerful shot and he parried the loose ball into the box, which Thompson slammed home for his second after Fennon had slipped.
But Frolesworth stepped up a gear after having conceded again and just five minutes later they had restored their two-goal cushion courtesy of Young, who curled home his second direct free-kick in as many games to put the game beyond Niffy's grasp.
United began to slice through Rangers at will thereafter, with Pratt impressing at right-back at the returning Garner full of endeavour and a box of tricks on the near side. Cook added his second on the hour mark to move him a goal behind Wills in the scoring charts, before he was agonisingly denied his hat-trick with an incredible goal-line clearance soon after.
He was withdrawn for Simmons before Young's mazy run was halted in the box for a penalty, but with the midfielder on a hat-trick, captain James decided to step up in an attempt to open his account for the season but his spot-kick was well saved low to the keeper's right.
Substitute Simmons should have added a seventh, but his drive was blocked on the line before Wills burst through and unselfishly squared to Young for his hat-trick, at the expense of the 18-year-old himself.
And so, Frolesworth finally put an end to their curse away from home with an emphatic win to end the year on a high as they proudly sit in the third and final promotion spot ahead of 2012.
Harris must forget the disappointing defeats away at Sunbury United and Thurmaston Progressive WMC 2009 and now focus on a huge second half of the season, which includes two fixtures apiece against high-flying Star & Garter and Throops, as well as the visit of the dangerous Sunbury United and he will be hoping that if everyone stays fit and the addition of Young remains permanent, United can begin their ambitious promotion push.
The Rabbits have most certainly moved forward in the past 12 months and the anticipation for the beckoning 2012 has now begun, but as it stands, Frolesworth are going up.
Merry Christmas, we'll all drink to that.
UNITED (4-3-3) - GREEN 7, PRATT 8, JAMES (C) 7, FENNON 7, BOULTON 7, IVENS 8, YOUNG 10 (MOM), PANTONY 7, GARNER 7, COOK 9, WILLS 9
SUBS - SIMMONS 6, SWANWICK 6, EVANS 6???
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