JOEL Barber’s hat-trick of tries helped Northwich secure a five-try bonus point win on Saturday.

Blacks have now won seven successive matches, and an interval lead of 22-0 meant most of the work for their latest one was done by the break.

They stay third in the standings, four points adrift of a play-off place.

The hosts exerted made clear their intent from the first scrum at Moss Farm, their initial pressure earning the reward of a penalty that James Underhill converted.

When the usually-reliable Simon Mason missed a chance to match his counterpart’s feat at the other end, it prompted a spell during which Northwich made him feel regret.

They scored a first try following a straightforward drive to the line at a scrum, at the end of which captain Chris Dale touched down.

A second followed after Matthew Poste launched an attack with a quickly-taken penalty in the hosts’ 22.

Chris James sent the ball Barber’s way, and he crossed the line between the posts.

Underhill converted.

Within five minutes Barber scored again, this time after Robin Houghton collected a clever chipped kick.

He timed his pass perfectly, and the full-back’s speed did the rest.

Underhill’s extras put further distance between the teams.

Northwich made safe a bonus point early in the second period after James gathered an attempted clearance.

A penalty award for offside followed, again swiftly-taken by Poste to teed up Barber to complete a personal treble.

Anselmians chose often to run the ball from inside their own 22 as they attempted to recover, but instead it led to them conceding again when Underhill pounced on a fumble before racing onto his own kick to notch Blacks’ fifth try of the afternoon.

He duly converted too.

The visitors salvaged something during the closing stages when, despite a fine cover tackle by Richard Dale, they recycled the ball to touch down a deserved try.

Mason added a conversion.

But it was too late to stop Martin Poste’s men from extending a winning sequence on home turf to six matches.

They visit Wigan next Saturday, kick off 2.15pm.

Northwich Grabski, James, Maddocks, Heywood, Bradshaw, Gavin, Naylor, Chris Dale, Poste, Underhill, Reilly, Richard Dale, Keller, Houghton, Barber Replacements Cartman, Vaughan, Thompson Tries Chris Dale, Barber (3), Underhill Cons Underhill (3) Pen Underhill