Report By Glenn Kelly
Dean Ebbe hit a hat-trick as reigning champions Crusaders blew away Championship side Dergview to run out 6-0 winners.
Both sides made changes from their last outings, but it was Crusaders who settled the quicker of the two and dominated large swathes of the game. Dean Ebbe opened the scoring, heading home from a Jordan Forsythe cross.
Ebbe added a second after the break, reacting first to a saved Philip Lowry effort from close range. The big striker completed his hat-trick two minutes later heading in from a Ross Clarke lay-back.
Substitute Jordan Owens scored a fourth, heading home, before Philip Lowry curled in a fifth. Fellow-sub Jonny McMurray finished the scoring, sliding home for the Crues 6th.
The cup holders started the game lively and never gave the Championship side time to settle. Ebbe got the first of the game - and his first Crusaders goal - in the 4th minute. The striker leaped highest to head home a clever cross from Forsythe.
Stephen Baxter’s men continued to dominate but without finding the net again in the opening period.
The second half continued in a similar vein to the first with the Premiership side asserting their dominance, Ross Clarke and Lowry being particularly influential. This pressure led to Ebbe’s second in the 50th minute. He reacted first to pounce on a save by Dergview keeper Alan Buchanan from a Philip Lowry effort; and fire in from five yards.Just two minutes later Ebbe completed his hat-trick. Clarke nodded back from a cross into the box and the hat-trick hero was on hand to delightfully loop home a header from 12 yards.
Dergview must have thought they were caught in a Tornado as the goals kept coming. Owens was next on the scoresheet, heading home from a Clarke corner after Buchanan failed to gather. The Crues leading scorer, Lowry, chipped in seven minutes later with a lovely curling effort from the edge of the area after a neat one-two with Declan Caddell.
Substitute Jonny McMurray completed the scoring and ended a miserable day for the visitors, by sliding home from a wide angle after an accurate through ball from Caddell.
Crusaders will be happy with their opening performance as reigning champions and have laid the standards for those after their crown
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