ON a wet afternoon, Ilkley Town comfortably beat Cleator Moor Celtic 5-1 thanks to a hat-trick from Kevin Gonzalez.

The hosts started the brighter team as Tom Smith found some space on the edge of the box in the fourth minute but his shot was saved by Dylan Waldron.

Not long after the home side broke the deadlock from a free-kick as the ball fell into the path of Matt Swift inside the box who made the score 1-0.

Cleator Moor then had a chance to peg Ilkley back but hit the crossbar and the hosts managed to clear.

After half an hour played Ilkley doubled their lead when Harry Brown dribbled with the ball before squaring it to Gonzalez who tapped it in to make it 2-0.

Just before half time the visitors managed to halve the deficit as the ball scrambled across the line from a corner.

During the first half Waldron suffered a knock to his head which meant the goalkeeper had to be replaced at half time. Kyle Graham put on the gloves and played in goal for the second half.

In the second half, Ilkley defender Macauley Smith restored their two-goal cushion when he beat Graham to the ball and fired in from a tight angle to make it 3-1.

Then Tom Fleming had an opportunity to get on the scoresheet when Gonzalez played it into him but his shot was parried away.

Gonzalez got his second goal of the game when Aaron Davis’ through ball went into the path of Ilkley’s no 9 who smashed the ball home to make it 4-1.

As the game was drawing to a close, Gonzalez completed his hat-trick when Fleming played a low cross into him before making the score 5-1.

The result means The Baht’atters have now picked up 13 points from 13 games, and they next face Pilkington away on Saturday 9th October before hosting National League side FC Halifax Town in the County Cup on Tuesday 12th October.   Report by: Evan Seaman