HARARE - Motor Action have had little to cheer about in a season they have fallen from grace from the lofty standards they set themselves in the last two years.

League winners in 2010, and runners up the following year in both the lucrative Mbada Diamonds Cup and league championship, many expected Jeoy Antipas’ men to at least mount a strong challenge for honours.

Dismal performances in both the league and Cup competitions have seen them re-evaluating their priorities.

The former Zimbabwe champions have now set a modest target of finishing in the top eight.

Despite their inconsistencies, the Harare club had something to smile about on Saturday when they walloped Blue Rangers 5-0 at Gwanzura Stadium.

The star of the show was Merciful Ncube, who struck a hat-trick that left the staunch Mighty Bulls supporter Liz Rosen a happy woman, but more importantly, the victory fired up the morale in the Mighty Bulls camp.

Motor Action coach Joey Antipas was justifiably a happy man as this was Motor Action’s biggest victory in an otherwise troubled season.

Antipas was full of praise for Ncube, who proved too foxy for the Blue Rangers defence marshalled by captain Nyasha Chazika, with his bustling runs and good positioning.

Ncube led the rout in the 10th minute, thrusting Motor Action into the lead with an effortless tap in after ghosting behind the out of sorts Rangers defence.

Passmore Bernard’s splendid free kick in the 59th minute made it 2-0.

Ncube stretched the Mighty Bulls advantage moments later, exquisitely rounding off Rangers goalie Moses Nelson to fire home into an empty net as the Bulls laid siege of Rangers goal.

The forceful Ncube completed his hat-trick one minute before regulation time with a well taken spot kick, sending Nelson the wrong way from six yards out.

It was left to second half substitute Thembani Masuku, who smashed the right hand of the bottom corner to complete the rout for the former champions.

“Our finishing was excellent, I’m very chuffed,” Antipas told reporters after the match.