Sam Gargan bagged a hat-trick as Sutton United stormed into a play-off position by sweeping aside Wealdstone in impressive fashion on Saturday.

In a thrilling display, Sutton scored five goals in a home league game for the first time since thrashing Heybridge Swifts 5-1 in April 2004.

United started as they meant to go on and, after just five minutes, James Norwood cut in from the left and hit a dipping shot which came back off the bar.

The breakthrough came in the 17th minute after Norwood was tripped on the edge of the penalty area.

Alan Pouton stepped up and hit a stunning free kick with power and dip that left Wealdstone keeper Sam Beagle grasping at thin air.

Five minutes later, Alan Bray’s quick pass forward gave Norwood the chance to attack down the left, leaving Ken During trailing in his wake, before chipping a cross to the far post where Gargan headed in from a narrow angle.

Wealdstone’s frustration was reflected when Greg Ngoyi left his foot in on Bray to pick up the first of the afternoon’s five bookings.

Nine minutes before half time, Danny Phillips combined well with Billy Hawes before curling a shot just wide.

A chastening half for Wealdstone ended with two enforced substitutions, James Gray and During departing, the latter after a foul which saw Norwood booked.

Wealdstone had a glimpse of an opening early in the second half but Bray threw himself in the way of a shot to avert the danger.

Their cause was soon rendered as good as hopeless even though Taylor found his way blocked as he tried to battle through on the right.

Pouton was on hand to keep the attack going as he played a pass in to Gargan, who sidestepped a defender and drilled a low shot past Beagle.

That was Pouton’s last action as United took the chance to give him a rest with another game coming up on Tuesday.

Just after the hour, Andre Costa earned his reward for two impressive reserve team performances - which had yielded five goals - when he replaced Taylor.

By then Sutton should have had a fourth, a slide-rule pass from Phillips putting Norwood through only for Beagle to save a mis-hit shot.

But, midway through the half a similar build-up, this time involving Phillips and Sonny Cobbs, saw Gargan put through the middle and he planted the ball in to the bottom corner of the net to complete his hat trick as Beagle came out.

With Wealdstone a well beaten side it was just a question of how many United might score, Perkins having a goalbound overhead kick blocked and Costa, who gave the visitors’ defence no respite during his half hour on the pitch, also had a shot blocked after another run by Norwood had set up the chance.

The fifth goal did come, however, when Costa whipped in a cross from the right and as the ball bounced around in front of goal it was hooked in by Steve Watts.

Continuing his comeback from injury as a substitute for Gargan, Watts raced away to celebrate in front of the Sutton fans and round off a tremendous afternoon’s entertainment .

The crowd of 698 was United’s biggest of the season as they hosted their first Community Fun Day of the season in conjunction with the local Metropolitan Police.

Sutton: K Scriven, B Hawes, A Bray, S McKimm, J Goodliffe, S Perkins, C Taylor (sub A Costa 62), A Pouton(sub S Cobbs 50), S Gargan(sub S Watts 74), J Norwood, D Phillips. Sub n/u M Hann, J Hawes. Goals: Pouton(17), Gargan(22,48,66), Watts (90). Booked: Norwood(43-foul), Cobbs(76-foul).

Wealdstone: S Beagle, K During (sub C Ellerbeck 44)(sub C Martin(65), L Chappell, R Fitzgerald, A Massey, R Ashe, M E’Beyer, C O’Leary, J Gray(sub D Locke 44), G Ngoyi, D Spendlove. Subs n/u C Mpi, L Woods. Booked: Ngoyi(29-foul), Fitzgerald(72-foul), E;Beyer(89-foul).

Referee: D Blunden (Dartford).

Attendance: 698