MICHAEL Cheek’s hat-trick helped Chelmsford ease safely into the next round of the FA Cup thanks to a 6-0 thumping of Worthing at the Melbourne Stadium.

Cheek’s treble was backed up by goals from Evans Kouassi, captain Mark Hughes and academy graduate Sam Gregory on a comfortable afternoon for the Conference South side. 

Any fears that the Ryman South visitors may cause an FA Cup upset were dashed after they gave away two penalties inside four minutes, both converted by Cheek and Kouassi. 

Chelmsford’s third and fourth, scored by Cheek and Hughes, either side of half time made it comfortable before Cheek scored his fifth goal in just two games to secure his hat-trick. 

The score allowed City boss Mark Hawkes to blood a couple of youngsters from the flourishing Chelmsford academy with one of those graduates, Gregory, rounding off a superb team goal as the 17-year-old smashed home from close range. 

Despite the comprehensive score line Hawkes did not going to get too carried away with his side’s performance and improving confidence, saying afterwards “I think we’ve just done enough.”

“We started the game quite slowly and didn’t play at the tempo that I wanted them to play at, but after we got two penalties given to us very early from that point there was only going to be one winner.”

Chelmsford City: Niklas Freund, James Love, Leon Redwood, Mark Hughes (C), Mark Haines, Yado Mambo, Lee Sawyer (Harry Morgan 68’), Joe Ward, Evans Kouassi (Luke Callander 39’), Michael Cheek (Sam Gregory 72’), Nicky Nicolau. Unused Subs: Rhodell Gordon, Christian Smith, Marvin Ekpiteta, Rob Girdlestone.