RUTHLESS Chelmsford City demolished fellow play-off hopefuls Farnborough 6-0 with a clinical performance at Melbourne Stadium.
After an early scare, a hat-trick of powerful first-half headers had the away side on the rack, and there was no let up in the second half as the Clarets ran riot.
Michael Bakare grabbed one in either half, with Justin Miller, Kenny Clark, an own goal and David Bridges completing the scoring.
Chelmsford were much the better side in the early exchanges, but after a corner was cleared and Joe Whight burst forward, they were almost caught on the break.
Farnborough had a two-on-two situation and Richard Peniket was expertly played through, but Stuart Searle denied him and Jack Ainsley got back to block Dan Bennett's follow-up.
Chelmsford had their first sight of goal though when Miller's long ball found Rob Edmans, who controlled well and fired a fierce shot which Ross Worner tipped over.
But from the corner, City were ahead. Bridges swung it in and Miller met it with a powerful header that gave Worner no chance.
Bakare was a real pain to the visiting defence and he created a chance when he got to the line and his low cross came to Whight, but his shot was wide.
And on 21 minutes Bakare was the man in the middle to meet a delightful Aiden Palmer cross and thump a header past Worner from eight yards.
It was one-way traffic and Bridges almost curled in an audacious third, before Edmans was played in by a Farnborough tackle, but his and Bakare's efforts were both blocked.
But from another corner it was 3-0, Bridges again with the delivery and skipper Clark dived to head home.
It was a miserable opening 30 minutes for Farnborough, summed up when Searle parried a cross out to Bennett, but he shanked his shot high and wide from ten yards.
It was almost four when Kyle Vassell cut in from the right but his low shot struck the upright and bounced back out.
There was no let up for the visitors as Miller tried his luck from 20 yards but it whistled wide of the far post, before Edmans chipped Bakare in but he blasted his effort straight at Worner.
Searle fluffed a clearance on the stroke of half-time, but Bennett couldn't take advantage, firing well wide, and sub Nic Ciardini also had a sight of goal as they rallied, but he was off target.
The fourth goal came just a minute into the second half, Edmans heading Miller's long throw goalwards and it flicked off Alan Inns and looped over Worner and in off the post.
Another Miller corner caused more panic as Clark headed goalwards but Mark Haines smacked over from an angle.
But the home fans didn't have to wait long for another when a short corner was crossed in by Miller and Bakare headed in his second.
Farnborough kept plugging away and Matt Ball was denied by Searle, but from the corner a rapid breakaway should have seen a hat-trick for Bakare, as he was played in by Palmer but stabbed his left-footed shot wide of the post.
Bakare was played in again and this time Worner came out and stopped his shot, but it fell to Bridges and he slotted in.
Boro's subs at least looked sharp, and Ciardini went close 20 minutes from the end when he rattled the post after some neat footwork created the chance.
City brought on Donovan Simmonds and Jamie Slabber, and the former almost teed up Bakare for his hat-trick, but Worner denied him with a fantastic save down low to his right.
Chelmsford: Searle, Ainsley, Palmer, Haines, Clark, Whight (Simmonds 76), Vassell (Ward 83), Bridges, Bakare, Miller, Edmans (Slabber 80). Subs: Fagbohun, Ward, St Louis-Hamilton.
