Phoenix U-19s 11 Mercian Menace 1.

Manchester Phoenix Under-19s' squad cruised past a Mercian Menace squad from Coventry on Saturday afternoon with John Murray again standing out for the home side.

Murray, who last week bagged five goals against Bradford in a 7-1 win, helped himself to four more against a hapless Mercian team who were three goals down inside nine minutes. Mike Townsend, Danny Berry and Jason Pirie with the first of a brace fired the Phoenix U-19s into a commanding first period lead before Mercian found a way past Adam Summerfield in the home goalthrough Jamie McKinnon.

If Phoenix had controlled the first period, it was total domination in the second as they outshot the visitors 21-6 in adding a further five markers. Pirie fired home his second before Alex Burgess buried his first of the game. Alex Pugh made it a 6-1 score just past the half-hour mark, before Murray scored the first two of his four both assisted by Burgess.

Both sides changed their goalies for the final period, Adam Fox replacing Summerfield and Ryan Taylor taking over from James Young for Mercian. Murray completed a straight hat trick in the 45th minute and Alex Burgess sent the Phoenix into double figures with his second goal of the game on a 51st minute powerplay. Mercians' misery was completed in the final minute when Murray claimed his fourth to end a very satisfactory performance for the Phoenix youngsters.