RYLANDS made a huge statement in their bid for back-to-back promotions on Saturday.

Already sitting third following a superb run of form, manager Dave McNabb took his side to second-place Bootle for what was billed as a mammoth promotion showdown.

What followed was domination as Kane Drummond plundered a hat-trick in a 3-0 win for Blues, who extend their winning run to six matches to move top of the North West Counties League Premier Division’s form table.

Bootle only stayed about their visitors at the close of play by virtue of goals scored, with the teams level on points and goal difference, but there were clear levels between the sides on the day.

“I think we did really well today,” McNabb said after the game.

“What we did today was we won a fair share of the first and second balls and we looked slightly more dangerous than Bootle today, but both sides are excellent teams.

“We’ve played each other four times over the season now and we’ve got two wins apiece.

“That scoreline could easily have been the other way around on another day but today, we were the better team and we turned the whip.”

Blues had already made a fast start by the time they went in front – Bootle stopper Ryan Jones could only parry Andy Scarisbrick’s shot into the path of Drummond, who duly put the ball away.

Having continued to press, the visitors were rewarded on the stroke of half time in very similar circumstances.

Jones once again failed to hold a shot – this time from Harvey Whyte after good work in the build-up from Sam Sheen and Ste Wolhulter – and Drummond was there to punish him.

A hat-trick for the 19-year-old seemed almost inevitable and six minutes into the second half, it duly came.

Having twisted and turned into a one-on-one with Jones, Drummond lifted the ball calmly over him to ensure he took home the matchball and his side brought the points back to Warrington.

“Kane was brilliant,” McNabb said.

“It makes me laugh to hear people talking about him struggling because he’s not feeling any pressure at all.

“He’s 19 years old and he’s playing week in, week out in a very tough league and today, he was exceptional.

“I thought he was unplayable at times today and it’s great to see because he’s the most honest, genuine lad there is.”

McNabb brought Sheen into midfield for his debut after he was signed from Widnes in the lead-up to the game.

It is safe to say the Blues boss was thoroughly impressed with what he saw on his first appearance in a Rylands shirt.

“I thought Sam, on his debut, for me was the best player on the pitch. I thought he was fantastic,” he said.

“Andy (Scarisbrick) was really really good again today. Lewis (Buckley) was really creative in there.

“We made a change early on and I thought Harvey (Whyte) was awesome there too today.

“The midfield were strong. I thought in the first half when we were playing against the wind, we were clever in how we played the ball and it caused quite a few problems.

“It took us around 15 minutes to settle into the game once we realised how the ball was flying through the air.

“Once we got to grips with that, I thought we won the midfield battle.”