MOST onlookers described Orange Wanderers’ 10-0 thumping of Bathurst City on Saturday as a shellacking.

But Wanderers co-coach Matt Johnson was far more calculated in his summation of his side’s biggest win of the 2016 men’s Premier League Hockey season.

Describing the rout as a warning for the rest of the competition, Johnson bagged a first-half double while attacking gun Nick Sharp, veteran Adam Hurford and diminutive forward Luke Skelton also nabbed braces in the convincing win, the club’s second consecutive victory of the season.

“For us, we wanted to send a bit of a message to the rest of the comp and say ‘right, we’re here and we’re hoping to be in a good position on the table now’,” Johnson said.

Wanderers, now on 16 competition points and firming in the league’s top four, converted most of its first-half chances, rocketing to a 5-0 lead after just 18 minutes.

Johnson completed his double just a tick after the 13-minute mark.

“We had a goal coming into the game to be a bit ruthless,” Johnson said looking at Wanderers’ hot start.

“In the past we’ve fallen into the trap of being a bit complacent in games where we’re expected to win, so we definitely didn’t go in with that mind-set.

“Our goal was to set the game up in the first 15 minutes and I think it might have been four or five nil ... that’s unreal.

“To then dig in and not let any goals against, it’s probably the first time we’ve put a team to the sword like that.” 

Johnson scored the game’s opener after three minutes, whacking home Wanderers’ first short corner chance of the afternoon to complete the perfect start.

But City soon rallied, earning two consecutive short corner chances of their own five minutes into the contest to give the visitors hope of running with Wanderers in their round six encounter.

They fluffed both attempts, however, and from that point onward it was all Wanderers as Sharp, Skelton, Johnson, Bailey Ferguson and Keiran Gentles scored further goals, the latter a sensational full-length dive to touch the ball past young Bathurst keeper Tom Scott and put the polish on a 6-0 half-time advantage.

The opening 15 minutes of the second half was dour, but the flood gates re-opened when Skelton nabbed his second, Hurford belted home a winner and Sharp linked well with Skelton again before completing the interchange of passes with Wanderers’ ninth goal of the afternoon.

Hurford then hit home his second, four minutes from full-time, to ice the 10-goal victory.

Although another tough loss for Bathurst City - the team has now suffered double-digit goal defeats on three occasions in six rounds - coach Kevin Sherman believes the club is making steady improvement.

A lack of confidence, however, is stunting their opportunities.

“Our defence let us down today, and our trapping and passing, it’s letting us down big time. We’re turning over too much,” Sherman said.

Nick Sharp was strong for the hosts, as was Johnson in a well-rounded performance from the hosts.

ORANGE WANDERERS 10 (Matt Johnson 2, Nick Sharp 2, Adam Hurford 2, Luke Skelton 2, Keiran Gentles, Bailey Ferguson) def BATHURST CITY 0