ON-loan hitman Richard Burgess bagged a hat-trick as Bewdley Town made a winning start to the West Midlands League Premier Division by seeing off Pelsall Villa 3-0 on Saturday.

Burgess, on a game's loan from Bewdley's neighbours Stourport Swifts, took all the glory to give Town's title hopes the perfect start.

Town went into the match missing last season's top scorer Lewis Pountney, Jamie Hart, Gavin Smith and Sean Wright but still had too much fire power to Pelsall.

Burgess formed a lethal partnership with fellow striker Chris Hough and the duo combined to great effect to open the scoring in the second minute.

Hough raced through Pelsall's defence and set up Burgess for a simple tap in.

The deadly duo struck again in the tenth minute with an exact copy of Town's opener, with Burgess finishing off from close range.

The only real threat from Pelsall came in the 17th minute when Greg Harris' effort flew wide of goalkeeper Tom Harper's post.

Harris was carrying most of Villa's threat at the start of the second half and he saw another long range effort crash off the cross bar.

Ben Drew hit the back of the net for Bewdley, only to see it ruled offside.

But the visitors tightened their grip on the game and nearly extended their lead in the 72nd minute, when a 25-yard lob from Steve Holt forced the Pelsall keeper into a diving fingertip save to force it over the cross bar.

Bewdley sealed the game in the 75th minute, when Hough headed a goal-kick into Burgess' path and the hitman completed his hat-trick by lobbing the keeper into the top right corner.

Town joint manager Brian Lacey said: "Pelsall is a hard place to go to but I thought we played very well to get all three points.

"It was important to get the season off to a good start and considering we had a few injuries all the lads did really well."

Bewdley are hoping to have Hart available for Bewdley's game against Bustleholme at Ribbesford Meadows on Saturday (3pm kick off), but Burgess is expected to return to Swifts.