ELLIOT Johnson scored a superb hat-trick as Sherrardswood & Birchwood Rangers Under-14s defeated local rivals Welwyn Pegasus 3-1. Rangers, the dominant league leaders of the Mid Herts Rural Minors Premier League, showed their class in bad playing conditio

ELLIOT Johnson scored a superb hat-trick as Sherrardswood & Birchwood Rangers Under-14s defeated local rivals Welwyn Pegasus 3-1.

Rangers, the dominant league leaders of the Mid Herts Rural Minors Premier League, showed their class in bad playing conditions.

Playing excellent football throughout the game, they showed a good Pegasus side the way to play.

The first goal came from a goalmouth scramble with a quick-footed Johnson putting the ball in the net.

It would have been 2-0 at half-time had Zack Nieman not poked an effort wide.

The Rangers midfield of captain Tom Hill, Ben Corbett, Luis Emmanuel and George Herbert were winning the 50/50 balls in the second half.

At one point Herbert seemingly lost the ball, only to win it back for Johnson to drive it into the net from outside the box.

Pegasus did not give up and clawed one back.

They kept up the pressure but they were caught out when a great kick from Sherrardswood keeper Freddie Kenison found Nieman, who flicked on to Johnson to fire home for his hat-trick and finish the game 3-1.