RETURNING hotshot Richard Gregory inspired Bromsgrove Sporting to sweep aside Loughborough University 6-0 and return to the top of the Midland Football League.

Gregory struck 96 seconds into his first match back from a three-match ban and Sporting never looked back against technically-gifted youngsters who barely laid a glove without the ball.

Bright spark R’mar Murray slipped Gregory down the left of the box and clever movement one way and the other opened up the chance to calmly guide low beyond keeper Jake King from the left corner of the six-yard box.

Loughborough had a couple of moments of promise through Kumbirai Mutamba and then went close when Cameron Gordon drove high and wide of the near post 11 minutes in.

But openings kept coming Bromsgrove’s way and when Daniel Morris’s fierce shot was parried into the air and spilled by King, Jason Cowley was on hand to tuck into the empty net.

It was one-way traffic from there with Cowley spurning a golden chance to make it three on the stroke of half-time, catching Ben Last in possession after he had taken possession of a short goal-kick on the edge of his own box but the Sporting striker scuffed wide. 

The third was not far away, though, as Gregory confidently cushioned in a low cross three minutes after the restart to take to 21 goals his tally from 17 Sporting games.

Moments later, Gregory was denied his hat-trick by an offside flag after he flashed in Josh Quaynor’s fierce delivery from the right.

Cowley got his second on the hour, lashing in unchallenged having taken in his stride Murray’s low pass into the right of the box and stepped inside.

Number five came four minutes later with Cowley involved again, nudging Quaynor’s corner towards goal from an acute angle for substitute Guy Clark to get above his marker and nod over the line from point-blank range.

Changes stifled Bromsgrove’s momentum until Gregory had another chance to bring up his a treble six minutes from the end. King’s outstretched boot to thwarted him from 15 yards following a well-weighted through ball from Cowley.

The scoring was rounded off in humorous-yet-unfortunate circumstances a minute into added time when the sprightly Cowley burst past his marker into an impossible angle on the left.

His cross-shot was inadvertently touched towards an empty goal by Loughborough's Jacob Croud who, in desperation, thumped into the side of team-mate Harry Clibbens’s head and in.

The result saw Sporting leapfrog Coleshill Town, 2-0 losers at promotion and derby rivals Highgate United tonight.

Sporting: Francis, Roberts, Wilson, Armstrong (Harris, 67), Jones (Clark, 58), Morris, Pykett, Quaynor, Cowley, Gregory, Murray (Canavan, 67). Unused subs: Binner, Carter (g/k).

Attendance: 508.