NOTTINGHAM University sit top of the Midland League Premier Division after a storming second half performance saw promoted Barton beaten 8-0 at University Park.
Barton had held the students at bay through a goalless first half but they had no answer to the varsity after half time as Warwick Bestwick, Tom Gibbs and Sam Clarke-Knowles had the hosts, playing with a slope, three up in five minutes.
In the 46th minute captain Andy Dalman converted a penalty corner and six minutes later Peter Smith and Bestwick had put the University six up.
Barton's defenders started to question the umpires' decisions, the verbal warnings and green cards went unheeded and the inevitable yellow cards followed.
Three Barton players were carded, they ended the match with only nine players on the pitch and the students took full advantage scoring through Clarke-Knowles and Ben James to head the table on goal difference from Bournville and Lichfield – who all have 13.
West Bridgford won for the first time by beating Hampton-in-Arden 3-1 at home.
Dan Gillott with a reverse stick shot and forward Charlie Brooke put Bridgford two ahead in the first five minutes.
Hampton pulled a goal back but Gillott made sure the Gold and Blacks would have all three points when he scored following up a Brooke shot the visitors failed to clear.
Joe Aston scored three for South Nottingham who collected their second Division One away win at Old Silhillians.
Aston (2) and Adam Hemphrey were the first half scorers as the Reds took the lead three times, then Aston, David Ebbage and Tom Campbell completed a 6-3 victory.
Dharminder Singh converted two penalty corners and added a third goal in open play to put Sikh Union (Nottm) 3-2 ahead at Stratford before two late goals gave the Warwickshire club a 4-3 win in the East Midland Premier Division, where North Notts lost 3-1 at home to Leicester.
There has been a change in fortune at Goosedale where last season's East Midland Premier strugglers Nottingham have won their first three games.
They head the division after Ben Morris (3), David Sells, Charlie Parker and Chris Gibson scored in a 6-3 win against Market Harborough.
Nottingham Players had a last gasp win over Ramgarhia (Derby) at Highfields.
The visitors led 1-0 and 2-1 but Players levelled the scores thanks to the penalty corner work of Steve Dockrell and Jordan O'Brien.
Ramgarhia went ahead for the third time with five minutes remaining and Players, reduced to ten men by suspension, appeared to be heading for defeat but Michael Dockrell converted a penalty corner and a last minute penalty stroke to secure a 4-3 win.
Boots, drawing 1-1 at Berkswell and Balsall Common thanks to Manny Soar's penalty corner strike, lost their East Midland Premier fixture 2-1 but enjoyed cup success a day later in the England Hockey Vase.
The Notts club scored first through Scott Richards, were pegged back but then added to their tally in the second half scoring eight goals through Adam Innocent (2), Notts cricketer Riki Wessels (2), Manny Soar, Lucasz Urbaniak, Michael Holmes and Richards to win 9-2.
In other first round ties, Mansfield defeated Bromsgrove 4-2 but there were defeats for Newark, who lost 1-0 at Leamington, and Nottingham Players, beaten 12-1 at Coalville Town.
A day earlier, Newark won 3-1 at home to Kettering in East Midlands Division One and sit joint top thanks to Scott Robinson's deceptive flick from a penalty corner, an Alex Daves rebound from a penalty corner and Nathan Wakeland from a set-piece move.
Warwick Printing Second Team League: Midland Premier Division: Birmingham University 6 Beeston 0, Loughborough Students 4 West Bridgford 1. East Midland Premier Division: Boots 4 Berkswell and BC 3, Burton 3 Nottingham University 2, Leicester 5 North Notts 1. East Midland Division 1: Barton 1 Nottingham Players 1, Chesterfield 5 Nottingham 0, South Nottingham 4 Newark 1. East Midland Division 2: Mansfield 1 Nottingham Trent University 1.
Warwick Printing Third Team League: Midland Premier Division: Northampton Saints 4 Boots 2, Nottingham University 1 Birmingham University 8, West Bridgford 2 Loughborough Students 2. Midland Division 1: Beeston 4 Burton 0. East Midland Premier Division: Nottingham 2 Leicester 3, Nottingham Players 7 Barton 1, Old Silhillians 2 South Nottingham 6. East Midland Division 1: Derwent 5 North Notts 2, Melton 3 Mansfield 0, Newark 3 Kettering 0.
Warwick Printing Central League: Midland Premier Division: Beeston IV 5 Nottingham University IV 1, Loughborough Students IV 3 West Bridgford V 1, West Bridgford IV 0 Birmingham University IV 5. East Midland Premier Division: Beeston V 1 Belper V 1, Belper IV 3 Beeston VI 3, Boots IV 2 Rugby and East Warwicks V 0, Leek V 6 West Bridgford VI 1. North East Division 1: Boots V 5 Nottingham Players IV 3, Burton V 3 Nottingham IV 1, South Nottingham IV 0 Belper VI 2, West Bridgford VIII 0 Boots VI 3. North East Division 2: North Notts V 1 Newark IV 3, Nottingham V 1 West Bridgford X 2, Nottingham Players V 0 Derby IV 4.
Saturday
Warwick Printing League
Midland Premier Division: Bournville v West Bridgford, North Stafford v Nottingham University
Midland Division 1: South Nottingham v Stone
Midland Division 2: Kings Heath Pickwick v North Notts, Wellingborough v Sikh Union (Nottm)
East Midland Premier Division: Boots v Nottingham Players, Mansfield v Ashby, Market Harborough v Nottingham Trent University, Ramgarhia v Nottingham
