Hockey: Derby victory icing on cake as Inverleith claim top spot

Inverleith emerged triumphant from the Edinburgh derby by seeing off Grange 6-3 as a hat-trick of wins placed Stuart Neave's charges at the top of the Subway National Indoor League after the opening day in Perth.

In only 12 minutes Inverleith had raced into a 3-0 lead through Stephen Dick, Chris Grassick and Adam MacKenzie from a penalty corner. By the interval the advantage had been cut to 3-2 as Martin Johnstone and Gary Cameron replied for Grange. But the second half belonged to Inverleith. Dick completed his hat-trick and Grassick scored his second while Duncan Batchelor got Grange's sole counter.

This was followed by an 11-6 victory over Glynhill Kelburne. Dick again found the net three times and there were doubles for Grassick, Graham Moodie and Andrew Sinclair. Inverleith had started the day with a 10-4 mauling of Western Wildcats. The game was effectively over when the Edinburgh side took a 5-0 lead just after the interval. The Wildcats put up some token resistance for a few minutes, but two goals each for Philip Hall and Grassick killed off the contest.

Grange opened with a 4-1 win over VWS Dundee Wanderers. Duncan Batchelor gave Grange a 1-0 half-time lead and Grange dominated the second period with two set-piece strikes from Craig Harper and a brilliant solo effort from Gary Cameron, Grange finished the day with a 9-5 win over AMN Hillhead.

Menzieshill, in search of their eighth consecutive championship, gave notice of their intentions when they hammered Hillhead 13-1 in their opening encounter, aided by four goals from veteran Kenny Stibbles and a hat-trick by Ross McPherson. Greaves Clydesdale held favourites Menzieshill to 2-2 well into the second half. But strikes from Ollie James, Gavin Tomlinson, Chris Wilson and Stibbles again sealed the eventual victory.

Newly-promoted Clydesdale provided the shock of the day with a 6-5 win over Kelburne, Fraser Hirst hitting the winner with 30 seconds left. The Paisley side did take something from the day by beating Hillhead 5-4 with a goal in the last three seconds.

Vikki Bunce grabbed no fewer than 16 goals in VWS Dundee Wanderers' routs of Kelburne (9-0) and Clydesdale (13-3). Her triple hat-trick against Clydesdale would have been even better had Bunce not missed from the spot.

Grove Menzieshill also picked up full points with a 10-0 win over newly-promoted Waverley Inveresk Trinty and then saw off Cala Edinburgh 9-3, with Nikki Kidd, Ailsa Wylie and Ali Bell the main scorers. Western finished the day in pole position by beating Waverley 8-0 and then Grove's second string 6-2.