Five goals from in-form striker Eddie Hart featured in a 6-3 Essex Saturday Veterans Cup Final victory for Blackmore Vets as they overcame Brentwood Town, though they needed 30 minutes of extra time before they could lift the trophy at Waltham Abbey FC.

Blackmore’s Hart opened the scoring on just six minutes, adding a second eight minutes later. Brentwood reduced the deficit on 20 minutes through John Bradley’s free kick, but Blackmore restored their two-goal cushion a minute afterwards thanks to Mike Evans. Four minutes into first-half injury time, Brentwood’s Daniel Glozier’s made it 3-2, and Daniel Smith’s 76th-minute header sent the game to extra time. But Hart came alive again, netting three more brilliant goals.

Ben Turner, Blackmore’s Manager, claims that Hart will continue to be at the centre of the celebrations: “He always is, yes! And he’ll be telling everyone about his goals for months and months to come! I’m very delighted. Tiring is how I would describe it. We had the guy up front, Eddie - he’s gone on to get five goals. He was the difference today, but it’s a great way to win it. It was exciting, and I hope everyone enjoyed it.”

Turner’s team made an excellent start on just 6 minutes when Hart brilliantly progressed past a defender centrally from around 35 yards then drilled powerfully beyond goalkeeper James Donga. Brentwood then went close to a quick leveller as pinball ensued in the penalty area and Ogbuka Ugochukwu was unable to finish, tapping wide from close range.

They were made to pay on 14 minutes. Steve Harding brilliantly threaded the ball through to Hart in the box, and he made no mistake in thumping through ‘keeper Donga to make it 2-0. But Brentwood were still in the contest, and a clear chance for them to get back into the game went begging as Liam Baptiste diverted the ball over from a few yards. Then, on 20 minutes, they reduced the deficit to just one goal. Bradley’s free kick from deep floated straight into the net.

However, Blackmore had no intention of collapsing, making it 3-1 just a minute later. Evans dribbled into the box like the defence wasn’t there before casually side-footing beyond Donga. To cap an entertaining first half, on the stroke of half time, Brentwood’s Glozier swerved a free kick just inside the unguarded left-hand post, reducing the arrears once more.

They were keen to make an early impression on the second half, Chris Barlow whistling a right-footed effort just over the crossbar from 15 yards. And Blackmore goalkeeper Rob Withers was also forced into a crucial save to deny Michael Burton’s shot as the temperature of the contest was raised.

On 54 minutes, gloveman Withers was called into action again. Firstly, Daniel Glozier’s goalbound shot from the edge of the penalty area was blocked. The ball rebounded to Barlow on the right and he rammed at goal, only for the Blackmore ‘keeper to push the ball back out. At the other end, Dave Collis’ free kick brushed the top of the net on its way over the Brentwood goal.

It looked like the next goal could be crucial at that stage, but it didn’t arrive until the 76th minute when Brentwood claimed the equaliser their efforts deserved. The ball swung back and forth across the goalmouth until Smith’s diving header made it 3-3, eventually signalling extra time. The sides clearly had respect for each other’s abilities in a cagey opening to the extra half an hour, until another moment of brilliance from Hart on 104 minutes.

The Blackmore striker completed his hat-trick when the ball bounced in front of him at an angle on the right and his 20-yarder screeched across ‘keeper Donga and inside the far post. By the 110th minute he just couldn’t stop scoring! A left-wing dead ball ended up beyond the far post, from where Hart blasted back across goal into the bottom corner. To complete his quintet on 113 minutes, Hart again found space on the right and curled the ball low into the net with the outside of his boot.

Manager Turner hopes this won’t be the only silverware his Blackmore team lift this season: “We’ve got the League Cup at the end of April against Summers - they’re the holders - so it’d be nice to win that one as well. In the league we’re second. We’ve got five games left and we’ve got to win all five to win the league. So, if we’ve got the legs, and I think we’ve got the squad, I think we’ve got a good chance of doing the treble.”

Blackmore Vets: Rob Withers, Steve Harding, Neil Barrett, Ben Turner, Dave Gould, Mike Evans, Jeyasiva Sivapathasundaram, Eddie Hart, Dave Collis, Aaron Watson, Scott Walsh. Substitutes: Kevin Neville, Danny Downer, Daniel Mackin, Barry Coldham, Lance McDowall. Manager: Ben Turner.

Brentwood Town: James Donga, Nick Bellamy, Will Ritchie, Daniel Glozier, Daniel Smith, Michael Burton, Kurt Smith, Chris Barlow, John Bradley, Liam Baptiste, Ogbuka Ugochukwu. Substitutes: Ollie Heeks, Joe Galsworthy, Alan Perry, Andy Goodwin, Scott Leather. Player-Manager: Daniel Glozier.

Referee: Dean Fenn.

Assistant Referees: Ian Nelson and Gary Johnson.

Fourth Official: Ayesemuate Agho. 

Attendance: 164.

Photos: Tiego Grenho.