A red-hot performance on a freezing night saw Potters Bar Town crush Hashtag United in the Isthmian League Premier Division.

Doubles from Ore Bello and Darnell Goather-Braithwaite and one for Ryan Hervel left it 5-0, their biggest home win for years.

And it was deserved too, with the only criticism being it should really have been by a bigger margin.

That's nit-picking though and it moved the Scholars up to 15th, eight clear of  the relegation places.

The first half was superb from the home side's point of view. They managed two, should have had three and could have had more than that.

Brandon Adams had a sight of goal after just 15 seconds but lifted a difficult chance over and then a second effort on six minutes was sliced horribly behind.

They were only temporary reprieves for the visitors though and the Scholars went in front on eight minutes.

Leigh Rose sent a ball forward that Adams chased. He was beaten to it by Jayden Randall but the defender didn't do enough to clear it.

And with his goalkeeper having also been attracted to the ball, it was only shoved slightly to the left of goal and Bello got there first, rolling the ball into the empty net.

Joshua Strizovic had to push a Darnell Goather-Braithwaite shot away but the chances were all coming for the Scholars.

Bello flashed a shot across the face of goal and just wide and it was no surprise when they scored again.

It came after the Tags should have scored but Rickie Hayles made a superb block from a 10-yard effort.

Hervel made him pay by turning a corner from the right into  the far corner.

Hashtag did make a brief show of things but Laurie Shala brilliantly tipped a Sakiriya Hassan shot onto the crossbar.

The half ended though with Bar guilty of a glaring miss.

Adams got in down the right and in front of Randall but opted to square it to the unmarked Goather-Braithwaite.

He could have picked any spot he liked but hit the goalkeeper's legs from eight yards.

It seemed like it could have been a big miss as Hashtag started with the obvious words of half-time rebuke ringing in their ears.

Laurie Shala batted down a Matthew Wooldridge shot and then dived to claim the rebound at the feet of Luke May-Parrott.

He then shovelled a Camilio Restrepo shot round his near post and Alex Teniola scooped an effort over the top from six yards.

One way of dealing with the pressure is to defend strongly. A better way is to score a third.

That was the option the Scholars went for.

Adams got to a long ball forward and the half clearance that followed ran to Goather-Braithwaite.

His cross from the left ran across to the other side and Bello. He cut back inside and left footed put it in the far corner.

That knocked the stuffing out of Hashtag and it was soon four, Goather-Braithwaite going down the left before cutting in and guiding it across Strizovic and into the far corner.

And there was still more to come as Goather-Braithwaite smashed in a fifth from close range on 89 minutes to wrap up an excellent evening's work.

Match details

Potters Bar Town: Shala, Fernandes, Keto, Hervel, Hayles, Bello (Babalola 84), Rose, Adams (Adaya 74), Goather-Braithwaite, Dickson, Gebrai (Chaney 84).

Subs (not used): Jessop, Thomas.

Goals: Bello 8, 53, Hervel 30, Goather-Braithwaite 64, 89

Booked: Bello 41

 

Hashtag United: Strizovic, Woodbridge, Smith, Randell, Cornhill (Kiangebeni 61), Hassan (May-Parrott 46), Djemaili, Restrepo, Cornish, Teniola, Halford.

Subs (not used): Cunningham, Sammons, Carvalho.

Booked : Randall 89

 

HT: Potters Bar Town 2 Hashtag United 0

Added time: 7

Referee: Jorden Gibson (Stevenage)

Attendance: 251