RAMSBOTTOM United go in to tonight's derby clash at home to Bury in buoyant mood after winning 6-0 at Burscough on Saturday - with Tom Hoyle hitting a first half hat-trick, writes Charley Rattan.

On the back of a couple of disappointing home results, it was chance for Rams to see how they would fare against a Burscough team who had won their previous three matches.

The risk looked all too real as Burscough started brightly on their astroturf pitch with a series of attacks. After 10 minutes they fashioned what looked a certain goal with a shot arrowing towards the far corner until Brad Rose flung himself across his goal line and then arched his body to the push the venomous shot away from danger.

Playing in red, Rams responded with their fine passing game. Their neat football to feet, coupled with incessant off-the-ball movement offering endless options as the game developed into a most entertaining encounter

This was in evidence as Hoyle on the left was able to receive outside of the box then drive forwards and cut in before crashing a terrific shot across the goalkeeper, travelling a pace the ball hit the inside of the post then doubled back across the entire goal line before burying itself into the netting in front the travelling Rams fans.

More, much more, was to follow from the all-action striker. A few minutes later, in closing down the keeper, Hoyle create an opportunity for a shot on goal. As Rams fans celebrated, it agonisingly struck the inside of the post before returning to the field of play and away.

He didn’t, however, have long to wait for his second as he harried the keeper who tried to hack the ball away. Its trajectory though was vertical, and Hoyle won a jump off to head the ball into a now empty net.

Prompted by skipper Andy Teague, the Rams continued to play their version of total football with some fine fluid moves. Luke Sephton was next to be located on the right flank where he advanced before sending a weighted low cross into the box. Oumar Camara read it and calmy side-footed it past the keeper and into the goal for the visitors third goal.

Hoyle completed his hat-trick in first half stoppage time when he picked up the ball on the halfway line, accelerated into space down the right before entering the box and firing a ferocious shot across the keeper and in of the inside of the left-hand post.

The Rams four nil to the good and early second half this season’s’ feel good anthem ‘in the summertime’ echoed around Burscough’s sun-filled stadium.

The second half opened with a fine strike from Henry Ogunby, before Luke Sephton was able to charge forward, and slalom past a couple of defenders a few minutes later. Sephton remained calm and picked his spot with a hard, low shot to the right of the goalkeeper; a fine virtuoso effort to put Rams five goals to the good.

The Rams weren’t finished. It was to be six of the best as Sephton chased down an effort into the into the box. It was initially blocked by the keeper, but somewhat unfortunately for him, the ball span loose, and it into the path of Rio McEvoy to plant into the net for Rams sixth.

The victory, which by its emphatic nature, will send out a signal to rest of the league. The top spot is once more reclaimed and just in time for the home match against Bury tonight.