Royston Gough's hat-trick guided Canterbury City to a 3-1 win over Belvedere in the first round of the Kent Intermediate Challenge Shield on Saturday.

Belvedere opened the scoring after 26 minutes when Joe Minter fired home a free-kick.

Dave Read, Scott Lawford and Tony Jackson all went close for the home side but found Belvedere keeper Neil Roffey in impressive form.

In the second half, Canterbury continued to push forward and pulled level on 70 minutes when Gough cut in from the right and fired home. City were ahead within two minutes when Gough made a similar run and beat the oncoming Roffey.

Minter then hit the crossbar for Belvedere before Gough put the result beyond doubt with a deflected shot which flew past Roffey.

Canterbury: Black, Baker, Hossick, Jackson, Seager, Read, Brooke (Tuite), McGeehan, Bonneywell (Maxted), Gough, Lawford (Smissen).