PREMIER Division outfits Eagley and Tempest United fired themselves into seventh heaven with two magnificent, high-scoring displays.

A Matty Carter hat-trick helped Tempest shoot down relegation rivals Slyne With Hest with a 7-1 away victory.

And Matthew Carr was the hat-trick hero for sixth-placed Eagley, who stormed to a 7-2 win at home to Longridge Town.

Carter put the Tempest on track with a well-taken goal in the first half and a 50th-minute penalty before the home side pulled a goal back.

But Sean Rothwell’s third goal for Tempest ended the match as a contest and, with the relief palpable, they went on the rampage.

Carter bagged his hat-trick with a great piece of skill to chip the keeper before goals from Ben Hyde and a late double from Danny Crossland completed the scoring.

“We put in a quality performance in what was a massive game that we couldn’t afford to lose,” said assistant manager Gary Westhead.

“Sean’s third for us was massive and killed the game off. “We then looked like scoring every time we went forward.

“I thought Josh Melling, who we signed from Turton, had a great debut and our centre-half, Tom Halligan, was immense.

“We had six regulars missing and played three lads out of the seconds, but they were all excellent. We now have two home games left in the league and are looking at four points to stay up, but, on this showing, hopefully we should be okay.”

Tempest moved out of the drop zone to fourth bottom, leapfrogging Slyne With Hest, who fell to second bottom.

A two-goal burst just before half time was decisive in Eagley’s entertaining victory over Longridge.

The match was finely poised after the two sides shared four goals in the opening half an hour, the visitors taking the lead and then equalising either side of a 15th-minute salvo from Tom Darby and Carr.

Scott McNare put Eagley back in front in the 42nd-minute before Andrew Lindley gave them a two-goal cushion with a fourth just a minute later. And the home side never looked back after the break as Carr added two more and McNare rounded off the scoring 10 minutes from time.

Ladybridge remain fourth-bottom of Division Two following a 3-1 defeat at mid-table Haslingden St Mary’s.

The home side scored two first-half goals, finding the net with a clinical finish in the 25th minute and doubling their advantage with a quickly-taken free kick.

Ladybridge had their chances to get on the scoresheet and came back strongly after the break, with Steve Schofield reducing the arrears.

But a late breakaway goal two minutes from time ended their hopes of what would have been a deserved comeback.

Turton’s Division One match at Hawcoat Park was postponed, while Bolton County, CMB and Stoneclough did not have a game.