ADAM Cornell scored four goals as Bracknell Town won 5-0 at Burnham to stay in hot pursuit of Uhlsport Hellenic League leaders Thatcham, writes Dave Wright.

The in-form striker has now hit the back of the net 28 times in 26 appearances this season, the second highest goal tally in the Premier Division.

“A couple of his finishes were top drawer,” said manager Mark Tallentire. “I was very pleased for him.”

Wide-man Joe Grant added the other goal, which meant TJ Bohane failed to add to his 18 goals.

“That’s the beauty of having more than one good striker. When one is not sticking them in, the other one is,” added Tallentire.

Bracknell could and should have won even more comfortably, as they outplayed a poor Burnham side in every department.

But a combination of the post, keeper Tom Bryant and a lack of accuracy from the forwards meant it was not until the 34th minute before they took the lead.

Following a swift break, Grant got round the back of the home defence and his right-wing cross was swept home by Cornell from close range.

Soon afterwards, a fierce shot from Grant was superbly saved by Bryant and then Bohane saw his effort deflected away for a corner.

Grant also set up the second goal for Cornell in the 42nd minute and he had the ball in the net again before half-time, only to be ruled offside.

Bottom club Burnham – who had one-time Aston Villa caretaker manager Scott Marshall as part of their coaching team sitting alongside Luther Blissett – were already looking a well-beaten side.

Robins left-back John Gray was not far away from scoring with a long-range shot and then a minute after coming on, substitute George Short and Grant created a clear-cut chance for Cornell, but he shot over the bar.

Bracknell made it 3-0 on 75 minutes when a superb pass from midfield by Jamie McClurg split the home defence wide open and Grant was left in the clear.

Cornell completed his hat-trick in the 82nd minute and two minutes from time he polished off another excellent day’s shift in a Robins shirt by scoring again.

This win, their 12th in 17 games, kept Bracknell in the top four and with every chance of going higher, but Tallentire is refusing to get carried away.

He said: “We are taking one game at a time. I know that is an old cliché, but I feel it the right way for us to go as we don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves. We just look forward to our next game. But I will say that if we take care of our ourselves, come April we should be there or thereabouts (in the title race).”

Bracknell, now back playing at Larges Lane, take on third bottom Oxford City Nomads on Saturday (3pm), and then next Tuesday (7.45pm ko) they host Division One West leaders Hook Norton in the third round of the Perpetua Press Hellenic Floodlit Cup.