RICHARD GREGORY marked his return from suspension with a brace in Bromsgrove Sporting’s 6-0 demolition of Loughborough University.
The former Stafford Rangers frontman netted after just two minutes, latching on to R’Mar Murray’s throughball before sending two Scholars defenders to the floor and firing home into the far corner.
Loughborugh should have been level nine minutes when Alex Dinsmore got in behind Daniel Morris but he could only fire into the side netting from a tight angle.
The outcome of Tuesday’s match might have been different had that chance gone in and nine minutes later the visitors were punished for not taking their big chance.
Centre-half Daniel Morris’ low shot was pushed up into the air by Jake King who dropped the ball to give Jason Cowley an easy finish from close range to make it 2-0.
Sporting continued to dominate proceedings with John Pykett and Gregory watching efforts curl just wide of the mark while Liam Armstrong missed a gilt-edged just before the break, skewing wide after capitalising on a defensive error.
But it did not take long for the Rouslers to make certain of the points with Gregory firing in a clever finish from an Aaron Roberts cross to make it 3-0 after 48 minutes.
Gregory thought he had claimed his hat-trick just four minutes later when he glanced home from Josh Quaynor’s cross but the ‘goal’ was ruled out for offside.
However, the fourth did come on the hour mark when Cowley lashed in at the near post to bag his third goal in two games.
Four minutes later it was 5-0 when Cowley hooked Quaynor’s corner back across goal to where substitute Guy Clark was on hand to head into the far corner.
The game tailed off somewhat for the next 20 minutes before Sporting came close to adding a sixth, King denying Gregory a hat-trick with his feet from close range.
However, the hosts did make it 6-0 in the second minute of stoppage time.
Cowley managed to weave his way in at the near post and just as his shot was about to cross the line, Harry Clibbens hacked the clearance away from danger only for it to rebound off Dom Botton and back into the net.
With Coleshill Town losing 2-0 at Highgate United, Sporting returned to the summit of the table with a one-point lead with a game in hand.
