CLINICAL Hexham put five past local rivals Prudhoe YC Seniors in Saturday’s derby encounter.

The 5-0 scoreline was payback time for the hosts, who had twice suffered heavy defeats at the hands of Prudhoe earlier in the season.

And it was Seniors’ old boy Sam Mannion, who signed for Hexham this month, who came back to haunt his former side with a memorable brace.

The Northern Alliance Division One match was just six minutes old when Mannion broke the deadlock, converting a Will Forsyth corner with a fine glancing header from 10 yards.

Hexham were the brighter of the two sides in the opening stages, with Kurtis Harvey and Vinny Proudlock prominent.

Prudhoe’s first opportunity came after 10 minutes, when Harry Mitchell volleyed wide from a corner.

But the hosts could have doubled their lead shortly afterwards, when Forsyth chased a back-pass, and blocked an attempted clearance from visiting keeper Mark Clark.

Owen Murtough then fired just wide from 20 yards for Hexham, before Prudhoe sprung into life around the half hour mark.

Home defender Michael Robson made a fine block to deny Luke Banks’ effort after a cross from the right.

Then Arron Fletcher powered his way through the home defence, but his low shot was tipped around the post by home keeper Nathan Byerley.

On 36 minutes, Prudhoe defender Kieran Russel made a firm sliding tackle to deny Harvey on the edge of the box. The game ebbed and flowed for the remainder of the first half, with the best chance falling to Prudhoe on 41 minutes.

After a good run down the left flank, the tricky David Burns picked out Mitchell at the far post, but the striker sliced his effort high and wide.

Hexham started the second half in similar fashion to the first - with an early goal. On 47 minutes, Hamish Forsyth pounced to dispossess Prudhoe right-back Darren Graham on the edge of the area, and fired the ball low inside the near post.

Shortly afterwards, Prudhoe’s Banks cleared the crossbar from a free header, following a cross from Graham.

Then a deflected shot by Mitchell, which looped over the goalkeeper, was acrobatically cleared off the line by Peter McRoberts.

But Hexham were always a threat, and on 70 minutes, a curving 30-yard free-kick from Will Forsyth was tipped over the bar by Clark, with both players receiving applause from an enthusiastic crowd at Wentworth.

The game was put beyond Prudhoe on 70 minutes, when Mannion found the bottom corner from 20 yards.

Seven minutes later, McRoberts dispossessed a defender before rounding the goalkeeper to make it 4-0. In the closing stages Dylan Mabunu capitalised on a sloppy back-pass to complete the scoring.

Prudhoe were not as poor as the scoreline suggests, and created their fair share of goalscoring opportunities throughout the afternoon.

But Hexham were ruthless, and goals early in each half proved crucial to the outcome of the game.

They used the ball effectively, and were full of running when not in possession, giving the Prudhoe defence a day to forget.