TONY Wallis will not forget his Bashley league debut in a hurry, following a storming personal match for him, grabbing a hat-trick in the New Foresters' first match of the season at Dartford.

Bash finished last season in fifth place, following a tremendous campaign where they were right up there with more than realistic hopes of promotion almost to the final furlong.

And just 90 minutes into 2003/04, with three points and a positive performance under their belts already, the Bash faithful look like they can expect much of the same this time around.

Bash manager Barry Blankley was naturally delighted with the start they have made.

"It's a tremendous start for us,"said Blankley.

"We started off a little bit slow, but finished the first half strongly and continued like that after the break.

"They could have gone two up in the first half, but overall I think we were in control of the match.

"Dartford have strengthened their team during the summer, and they've brought in a few experienced players, so we knew it wasn't going to be a walk in the park.

"Our aim this season is to finish in the top seven and be in a position to go up when the restructuring of the league happens next season.

"The bookies have made us third favourites for the title, behind Salisbury and Hastings, but all we've got to do is take each game as it comes, play the 90 minutes that are in front of us and take it from there."

Bash found themselves a goal down inside ten minutes at Dartford, but a quarter-of-an-hour later Dave Wakefield provided the cross for Wallis to head home the first of his three goals.

Five minutes before the break a repeat performance saw Wallis add number two with a similar header from another Wakefield delivery.

And shortly after the break Wallis, who was bought from Cardiff City in the summer, made it a hat-trick of headers, this time converting Gary Connolly's cross.

Midfielder Sean Lister and goalkeeper Simon Arthur both produced solid debuts for Blankley's boys, but it was the initiation of Wallis which stole the show.

Bashley: Arthur, Cooke, Mat Jones, Mark Jones, Connolly, Davis, Lister, Gee, Wakefield (Gazzard 80), Gibbons, Wallis (Gillespie 65). Unused subs: Elm, Cherrett, Quirke.