By Richard Day at Beechings Cross
Gillingham's youngsters hammered Dagenham & Redbridge 10-0 at a chilly Beechings Cross.
Ashley Miller and Bradley Dack both registered hat-tricks while Michael Freiter, Jakob Hessenthaler, Kane Haysman and Jack Parter were also on target as the Gills remained top of the Youth Alliance table in some style.
Skipper Dack and Kane Haysman both went close to opening the scoring in the eighth minute but the Daggers rearguard somehow managed to clear their lines - but they only kept parity for a further two minutes.
It was a superb individual effort from Miller who went on a jinking run past a number of visting defenders before slotting the ball past Dean Raphael.
Ashley Miller
Despite dominating there was little goalmouth action until the second goal arrived five minutes before the break. Jack Parter crossed from the left and when the ball was knocked down, there was Michael Freiter to ram the ball home.
It was 3-0 in the 43rd minute when a sweeping move down the right ended with Dack finishing well.
There was still time for another first-half chance and only Daggers defender Montana Stewart will know how he didn't put through his own goal.
Just two minutes into the second-half Darren Hare's side did increase their lead. Hessenthaler controlled a pass around 25 yards out and drilled a low shot beyond Raphael who was slow in going down.
Unfortunately for young Hess his dad missed the goal as he was late returning from his half-time cuppa.
The Dagenham keeper was to blame for the fifth (50 minutes) as his miscued a clearance straight to Dack who unselfishly set up a simple tap-in for Miller.
Moments later though Raphael made a great save to keep out a looping header from Haysman.
In the 68th minute however another attempted clearance by the keeper struck Haysman who was left with a simple tap-in.
Two minutes later it was 7-0 as Miller completed his treble, tucking away a cross from substitute Nathan Nyafli.
With 78 minutes on the clock referee Kay had little option but to award a penalty following a shove on Nyafli and Dack clinically despatched the spot kick into the corner of the net.
The lively Nyafli then saw a fierce shot cannon off the keepers' right-hand post and Josh Hare saw a header saved before the Gills struck number nine in the 84th minute.
Bradley Dack
Hessenthaler created the opening with some neat footwork wide right and his cross was converted by Dack, it was his third hat-trick of the campaign and took his seasons tally up to a impressive 20 goals.
The final goal came with a minute remaining as left-back Parter burst through unopposed and slotted the ball home past Raphael who seemed to have given up a long time before.
I'm not sure whether it is a league record for the Gills youth team, I can only remember previously a 9-0 victory over Portsmouth back in the days of the South East Counties League when Peter Beadle (five) and Joe Dunne (four) netted the goals.
Gills: Bourne, Hare, Parter, Maughan, Lee (Staunton 68), Freiter (Nyafli 58), Hessenthaler, Dack, Miller, Haysman (Blanchard 68), Coates.
Daggers: Raphael, Kashket, Spurge, Stewart, Santos, Ferguson, Smith, Webber, Nouble, Davie, Efambe. Subs: Parkes, Hurst, Monsheju, Connors, Dillane.
