Green, McQuoid, McGeehan and Banton on target
A strong Hatters side recorded a five-goal victory at Conference South side Gosport Borough on Monday night.
The Town, who included trialist goalkeeper Deniz Mehmet and striker Craig Mackail-Smith, wasted no time in taking the lead when Danny Green rifled home an excellent 25-yard shot inside the first five minutes.
Gosport came close to equalising almost immediately but 15 minutes later the Hatters doubled their lead when Josh McQuoid converted Green’s cross with a fine header.
All of a sudden the Town sensed more goals and Cameron McGeehan’s looping effort was kept out by home goalkeeper Nathan Ashmore to keep the score 2-0 at half-time.
The second half was only a minute old when Ben Harding reduced the deficit to get Gosport back in the game, but no sooner had the Town conceded they were back in control with a third goal. Green’s free-kick struck a hand in the penalty area and McGeehan drilled home the resultant penalty.
With their two-goal cushion restored the Hatters came close to making it 4-1 when Ashmore kept out Paddy McCourt’s shot after a slaloming run through the Gosport defence.
Back came Gosport and the home side reduced the Town’s lead to one once more when Justin Bennett found the net from the penalty spot after Stephen McNulty was penalised for handball.
Green wasn’t far away with another long range effort with 20 minutes left before the home side twice came close to making it 3-3 – only for the Town defence to keep Gosport at bay.
But, with 10 minutes left, the Hatters made it 4-2 when McCourt slipped in McQuoid to race through on goal and finish well to net his second of the night.
As Gosport tired the Town went in search of more goals in the final moments, and a fifth goal duly arrived with just over five minutes left when substitute Zane Banton turned in the box to fire home and make it 5-2.
Town: Mehmet; Cuthbert, Potts (sub Onyemah), McNulty, Wilkinson (sub O’Donnell); Green (sub Galliford), McGeehan, Doyle (sub Trotman), McCourt; Mackail-Smith (sub Banton), McQuoid.