IT WAS a debut to remember for Dan Drewitt whose hat-trick helped Highworth Town secure a 5-0 victory over New College in the Wiltshire Senior Cup.

The 22-year-old had only signed for the Hellenic League Premier Division side on Thursday and made an immediate impact to secure safe passage into the next round.

A goal just before half-time got the Worthians off the mark but it took until the 72nd minute before Highworth put the game to bed with a further three goals coming in the last five minutes of the game.

Drewitt was one of the stand-out performers for the hosts and manager John Fisher was pleased with the debutants contribution.

“Dan signed from Supermarine and got himself a hat-trick, which is good, he just wanted to play football,” he said.

“No disrespect to anybody up there but he is 22 and he just wants to play.

“At Supermarine obviously the standard is a lot higher and he is more of a fringe player than he is a starting player so he has come here and he is going to be more of a starting player, so it suits both parties.

“It gives him a bit more experience of playing and then if he maybe goes back there he’ll be better for it.

“It is difficult for him to impose himself, he seems quite a shy lad, but I am pleased for him. He got the goals and he has got 90 minutes under his belt so it bodes well for next week.”

Thanks to a fine display in goal from Alex Slateridge New College were able to weather a fast start from the hosts and found their way into the tie but Drewitt delivered a blow to the Hellenic League Division One side just three minutes before the break when he controlled in the box before firing into the bottom corner.

College continued to cause Highworth problems in the second half without creating too many chances of their own but the game was put beyond their reach when TJ Bohane controlled a cross from Ryan King before hitting the ball on the half volley home.

Drewitt got his second of the game in the 85th minute when he cut inside and his cross, meant for Aaron Maximen, was missed and the ball crept into the far corner.

Drewitt completed his hat-trick minutes later when he was on hand to tap home a rebounded shot off Slateridge, before Antonio Gerrish scored a long range effort to wrap up the one-sided score-line.

“I didn’t think we played that well really I think the score-line flattered us a little bit,” added Fisher.

“We scored three goals in the last five minutes, so it looked better than what it was really, I wasn’t pleased with the performance.

“We are in the next round, we were in a no win situation, if you win fine you are expected to win, if you don’t win really convincingly then everyone says that you’re not that good, it is one of those games.

“I felt the first half if we had scored a couple of goals with the chances we had I think they would have folded completely.

“They have got some good lads, they knocked it about well and they kept going to the end which is pleasing for Howeller (Ian Howell) but I don’t think he was pleased with their performance.”