DAVE EGAN’S second half hat-trick helped Chasetown on their way to a 5-2 success at Mickleover Sports in Saturday’s FA Carlsberg Trophy tie, writes Dave Goddard.

This was a proper cup tie with fast-flowing end to end play and a plethora of chances for both sides, with the advantage chopping and changing until the Scholars took control in the second half.

Chasetown were in the lead after just four minutes when a free kick was back headed towards goal by Gary Birch and as the hosts appealed for offside, leading scorer Gary Hay added to his tally for the season by steering a shot around keeper Chris Dodsley.

Mickleover’s danger man Alex Steadman departed with a hamstring injury after only 16 minutes, and five minutes after this a mix-up between Richard Teesdale and keeper Ryan Price saw the latter bring down Kieran O’Connell and Sports were awarded a penalty. Price redeemed himself for the error by diving to save Danny Martin’s spot kick, and Mark Branch reacted quickly to blast the rebound away for a corner.

On 27 minutes a poor clearance from Jimmy Turner handed the home side a chance and O’Connell fired a right-footed shot home off the far post from the edge of the area to level the score and leave the tie finely poised at half time.

Mickleover took the lead three minutes after the break when O’Connell side-footed home his second from an Eric Graves cross, but their lead would last only seven minutes before Egan smashed a Teesdale cross home from an acute angle into the far corner of the net.

On 64 minutes Hay cut the ball back to Ben Jevons on the edge of the area and the latter beat Dodsley with a low right-footed drive to restore the Scholars’ lead.

Despite Hay departing with a wrist injury the fired-up visitors were now in control and enjoyed plenty more chances, and on 83 minutes Egan received a cross from welcome returnee Dean Perrow and hammered the ball home from an even more acute angle than his first goal for Chasetown’s fourth.

In the dying seconds Egan completed his hat-trick in style as he headed a Dave Bridgwater cross into the roof of the net, and the Scholars progressed following a cracking afternoon’s entertainment.

Chasetown: Price, J Branch, M Branch, Turner, Bridgwater, Teesdale, Stephens, Egan, Birch, Hay (Perrow, 77 mins), Jevons

Other Subs: Ryan, Parsons, Edwards, Cohen (not used)