Brentford 7 Gainsborough Trinity 1.

BRENTFORD chalked up their biggest victory for nine years in hammering Unibond League side Gainsborough Trinity in the FA Cup first round on Saturday, but will find things a lot tougher when they visit Conference club Telford in the second round on the week of December 6.

Nineteen-year-old Matt Harrold, making only his third first team start since signing from Harlow Town in the close season, became the youngest ever Brentford player to score a hat-trick in a first class fixture.

Jay Smith also excelled in his first start since September as a late replacement at right-back for skipper Michael Dobson, who withdrew due to a severe migraine.

Manager Wally Downes said: “Jay and Matt were excellent. I wasn’t looking to play Harrold before Christmas. Technically he’s come on in leaps and bounds, but there was an example in the week where he hasn’t physically developed yet. At Peterborough he didn’t get a lot of change out of their fellas so there’s work to be done.” It wasn’t until first-half stoppage time that Harrold opened the scoring when he slammed in a pass from the lively Tony Rougier - his first goal for Brentford.

A minute into the second period Rougier, who is set to sign a new contract for Brentford until the end of the season, curved the ball home in great style and three minutes later Chris Timons turned Stephen Hunt’s cross into his own net.

Andy Frampton made it four goals in 10 minutes with a shot from the edge of the penalty area after Eddie Hutchinson’s header hit the bar.

Harrold added his second from a pass by substitute Stephen Hughes and in the 76th minute Kevin O’Connor blasted in No. 6 with keeper Paul Norton badly positioned for a free-kick.

Lee Ellington got a consolation goal for gallant Gainsborough from a cross by Ben Purkiss before the unmarked Harrold completed his hat-trick in the 85th minute by heading in a Hughes cross.

Brentford: P. Smith; J. Smith, Sonko, Frampton, Somner; Rougier (Hughes, 63mins), O’Connor, Hutchinson, Hunt (Evans, 73mins); Tabb (Olugbodi, 80mins), Harrold. Subs not used: Naisbitt, Peters.