Motherwell racked up seven goals in a friendly win at Gretna on Tuesday night.
Danny Johnson grabbed a hat-trick for the visitors, with further goals coming from Jermaine Hylton, Richard Tait, Barry Maguire and a trialist.
Despite the size of the scoreline, the Lowland League side made life difficult in the first half, frustrating Stephen Robinson’s side and keeping them a distance from their goal.
That resistance broke just before the interval, however. Hylton was first to net, latching onto a through ball down the left, before rounding the goalkeeper and steering home from close range.
Within a minute, it was 2-0. Johnson, on as a first-half substitute, capitalised on a goalkeeper error to lob the ball into an empty net from the edge of the box.
After a raft of changes at the break, Motherwell stepped things up.
Tait played a one-two down the left with Allan Campbell, before surging into the box and firing home with his left foot.
Straight away after, Johnson had his second, battling to get the ball away from the ‘keeper after he failed to clear, then stroking the ball into the net.
With 65 minutes gone, it was five. Hylton’s cut inside from the left led to a shot crashing against the crossbar, and Maguire reacted quickest to prod it home.
The biggest cheer of the night fell to the goal from the Motherwell trialist. From Tait’s cross from the right with 10 to go, he timed his run to perfection to score an overhead kick at pace from 15 yards.
Johnson then nabbed his hat-trick as the game wore to a close, brilliantly steering home on his left foot after the trialist’s bursting run down the left.
Motherwell first half: Carson, Grimshaw, Gallagher, Hartley, Carroll, Donnelly, Sloth, Polworth, Hylton, Long (Johnson), Scott.
Motherwell second half: Carson, Tait, Devine, Dunne, Livingston, Maguire, Campbell, McAlear, Hylton (Cole), Trialist, Johnson.
