RADCLIFFE were untroubled as they ran out 4-0 winners against Newcastle Town at the Neuven Stadium.

Boro got off to a perfect start with the opening goal coming a minute in. Sam Billington won the ball in midfield before playing it to Ben Wharton who controlled it and volleyed into the top corner from the edge of the box.

Wharton hit the second goal five minutes later. Tunde Owolabi played him through and he drilled his shot across the keeper and into the bottom corner.

Owolabi almost added a third half an hour in after rounding the keeper but a Newcastle defender got back to block the shot.

Boro began the second half as they had started the first and Billington grabbed his first goal for the club, firing in from Scott Metcalfe’s cross. Matt Crothers tried his luck from the edge of the box but his effort whistled just past the foot of the post. Callum Grogan’s sweetly-struck volley and Elliott Rokka’s long-distance effort also went narrowly wide of the upright.

But Boro did get their fourth on 90 minutes, Louis Myers calmly converting a Shelton Payne cross at the back post.

It was nearly five in the last minute of stoppage time when Crothers was played through one-on-one with the Newcastle goalkeeper but his shot hit the post.

That made no difference as Boro chalked up another valuable three points at the top of the table.

And manager Jon Macken hinted there was more to come from his squad, as he said: “I didn’t think we played that well in the first half. I was disappointed with our energy, and I told them at half time and I thought the second-half performance was very good – real intensity, game management, creating chances.

“And once again our defence was tremendous today against a good team.”