Carl Grimshaw hits treble in Charnock Richard’s FA Cup romp

First-half goals from Ashley Young (34) and Alex Santos (39) put Charnock in the driving seat.

Luke Aldrige (54’) pulled one back for the visitors, before Grimshaw’s treble – completed with a 90th-minute penalty – put the hosts into the next round.

Charnock’s squad was depleted through injury, with Troy Carsley, Danny Regan, Brad Carsley and Jordan Darr missing from Saturday’s tie.

Santos made his first competitive start for the club with Young, who returned from a lengthy injury, and Luke Gibson on his return to the club.

A foul on Santos down the left by Aidan Day, who received a booking, brought about the first goal of the evening.

Riding’s pinpoint cross was nodded on by Young who scored his 25th Charnock goal to put the Greens ahead.

Five minutes later they doubled their advantage, with 18-year-old Santos finishing a move started by Will Riding on the right, crashing in the winger’s cross at the back post.

Samuel Bradley scuffed an effort wide as Eccleshill looked to get back into the tie, but Charnock held on to go into the break two goals to the good. It took the visitors just nine minutes to get on the scoresheet in the second half.

A quickly taken free-kick was turned in at the near post by Aldridge, the same player who had scored at the weekend to take the tie to a replay.

Could it be the opening Eccleshill needed to get back into the game? Grimshaw had other plans.

On 68 minutes, Grimshaw’s low long pass to the right found Riding, who centred into Grimshaw to turn home to restore Charnock’s two-goal cushion.

Charnock went further ahead when an Aaron Griffith free-kick was played to the back post, which saw Riding volley the ball back to goal and Grimshaw headed forcefully past Edward Wilczynski to put the tie beyond reach of Eccleshill with just 10 minutes remaining.

And with the final seconds ticking away, Grimshaw’s firm penalty, after Nathan Nickeas was challenged in the box, extended the lead in injury time to claim his second hat-trick of the season.