Wonderkid Wallace scores second hat-trick as Newbury bounce back with emphatic win over Westwood

Teenage striker Jacob Wallace scored a second hat-trick of the season as Newbury bounced back from a drubbing of their own with a comprehensive 5-1 win over Westwood Wanderers Reserves.

Wallace, who has now scored eight goals in four league games this term, banished some of last week's demons when he opened the scoring within a minute of kick-off at the weekend. Newbury, who lost 5-0 to Tadley Calleva Reserves the week beforehand, doubled their lead after a quarter-of-an-hour through captain Luke Polding but were pegged back when Ryan North converted from the penalty spot on the stroke of half time.

The hosts, who were disappointed not to have been out of sight at the break, went through the gears after half time and restored their two-goal cushion in the 57th minute when Carl Self silenced the Wanderers boisterous bench with a cool finish from inside the box.

Thatcham loanee Wallace made it 4-1 just five minutes later when he chipped the visiting goalkeeper and, after manager Ben Wickens made five substitutions in quick succession, completed his hat-trick four minutes from time to make it four wins from five for Newbury.

And Wickens, who made six changes to the side that were resoundingly beaten by promotion rivals Tadley, was delighted with how his team responded to their first defeat of the campaign.

"I'm really pleased with how the lads turned up this week," he said.

"We learned from the week before and put things right, we had six or seven standout performances.

"The depth in the squad is brilliant – for five weeks in a row now we've taken a full 16 players."

While Wickens, who is embarking on his first role in management, was full of praise for his entire squad, he singled out marauding defender Liam Smith, who marked his first start of the season with a man-of-the-match performance.

He said: "He was brilliant on his first start and was deservedly awarded man-of-the-match.

"He was solid at the back and gave us something going forward."

Newbury, who are second in the Thames Valley Premier League Division 1 table – and only behind leaders Reading YMCA Rapids on goal difference – welcome third placed Maidenhead Town Reserves, who boast three wins from their first five, this weekend.