Damon Ming, the Dandy Town striker, had mixed emotions after bagging a hat-trick in his team’s emphatic Premier Division victory against his former club Devonshire Colts at St John’s Field yesterday.

The experienced player ripped the heart out of the visiting side, scoring in the 23rd, 27th and 60th minutes to savour a maiden hat-trick in senior football.

“It’s always bittersweet to score against your old team,” Ming said. “I really don’t like celebrating because that’s where I learned my trade. But I took my goals well and contributed well to my team’s win today.”

Town’s remaining goals came from Fabian Frankson, Kwonde Lathan, Angelo Simmons, substitute Seion Darrell and an own goal.

Colts replied through Eli Smith, substitute Clevelyn Crichlow and a Lathan own goal.

The visiting side have been dogged with injuries and further compounding their woes was the loss of midfielder Kiuno Cann who re-injured his shoulder yesterday.

Town, who have yet to be beaten in the league this season, stretched their lead at the top to nine points over nearest rivals Robin Hood who they play at home on Sunday.

Town hit early and frequently and were never really tested against a Colts side whose lacklustre performance mirrored the dark, wet and gloomy conditions at St John’s Field.

The home side grasped the match by the scruff of the neck from the start and it came as no surprise when Frankson, the Town forward, fired his team ahead from a slight angle in the thirteenth minute.

Before the dust settled, Chejon Berkeley, the Colts goalkeeper, was picking the ball out of the back of the net again after defender Lathan headed in a cross at the back post.

Ming opened his account in the 23rd minute after taking advantage of a goalkeeper blunder. Berkeley failed to hold a Simmons corner kick and Ming was on hand to stab home from close range.

He grabbed a second four minutes later as the goals continued to pour in like the rain.

Simmons, the Town captain, made it 5-0 in the 29th minute with a well-taken goal before a Frankson header took a deflection off Cann and crossed the line to heap further misery upon the visiting side.

Colts finally pulled one back on the stroke of half-time after Keimo Gardner’s shot from distance took a wicked deflection off Lathan and left Mikkail Crockwell, the Town goalkeeper, stranded at the near post.

The visiting side picked up where they left off after the break when Smith scored with a clever back-heel in the 51st minute after Cann’s afternoon was cut short by injury.

However, normal order was restored when Ming completed his hat-trick to extend Town’s lead.

Crichlow, who came on as a 57th-minute substitute for Quinn Simmons, scored Colts’ third goal after a breakaway.

Darrell, a 65th-minute replacement for Frankson, then tapped in Simmons’s pull back in the middle to put the icing on Town’s biggest league victory of the season.