Polmont's recent fine form carried on with an emphatic victory at title rivals Campsie. The hosts, who finished second to the Mont last campaign, started the game well and hit the woodwork twice prior to Stanic's opener. From then on Polmont simply battered their hosts into submission and a further eight goals including a sublime hat-trick from Kevin McDonald ensured the side made it five league wins in a row.
It was in fact Campsie who started the match brightly, with an early effort from outside the area crashing back off the crossbar. Minutes later the hosts hit McKinnon's right-hand post, before a header flashed past the post from a corner. At this early stage it was difficult to see Polmont getting out of their own half, but when they did it was to devastating effect as the match was finished as a contest within a matter of minutes.
Stanic sprang the offside trap and cut in from the left before slotting the ball home to give Polmont the early advantage. Just a minute later a clever pass to the feet of Ford cut Campsie open, as the man in form rounded the goalkeeper and slotted home for a quick-fire second.
Campsie were stunned, however worse was to follow for the home fans when Hill scored his first goal for the club after knocking the ball into the net from Stanic's cross. McKinnon made a brilliant save to preserve the three-goal advantage before Budge got his name on the scoresheet, firing home past a hoplessly exposed goalkeeper. It was a scarcely believable 4-0 away advantage at half-time, but things would only get better for the Mont as the second half unfolded into a nightmare for the home team.
Within seconds of the re-start, Stanic again beat the offside trap and ran from the half-way line before making it five and getting his second of the afternoon. The prolific striker then came agonisingly close to a hat-trick as his finish stuck in the mud of the goalmouth, symptomatic of the awful conditions on the day. The sixth Polmont goal was not long in coming, though. Kevin McDonald took centre stage, stepping over two Campsie defenders before curling into the top corner from the edge of the area.
Ford bagged his second with almost a carbon copy of McDonald's, Campsie unable to get near the forward who curled the ball into the top corner via the underside of the bar. An emphatic victory quickly became an embarrassment for the hosts when McDonald grabbed another with a delightful looping half-volley over the keeper as things started to get ugly for the locals.
They did, however, get the goal their tenacity merited to bring the scoreline back to 8-1 but it was fittingly Polmont who had the last word when McDonald capped a fabulous performance with an unstoppable free-kick which sailed into the top corner. It was a hat-trick of the highest order on what was the Mont's biggest ever league victory to date, all of this against the team which finished second their conquerers last season.
Another victory made it five league wins in a row, ahead of next week's trip to Cumbernauld to play Glenvale. A performance anywhere near this level and another splendid result must be within sight.
