Bolton Hockey Club’s men’s firsts were brought back down to earth with a bump after a 5-0 home defeat against table-topping Macclesfield firsts.

Victory at high-flying Neston gave the firsts confidence facing the daunting prospect of the 100-per-cent record of North West Men’s Three South leaders who have been in awe-inspiring form, scoring 77 with just 13 conceded in a perfect season so far.

The home team started with a change of tactics, allowing Macclesfield to control the ball in their own half and pressing immediately on entering the Bolton half.

For 20 minutes, Bolton’s tactics worked as they hit Macclesfield on the break and even managed to earn a penalty corner to pressure the visitors’ goal.

But, like so many before them, the inevitable happened and an opening goal for the leaders was quickly followed up by a second minutes later.

The Bolton game plan in tatters, Macclesfield were comfortable at half time.

The home side came out renewed in the second half and were a little more adventurous toward the opposition D, and again for 10 minutes it looked a good contest.

But Bolton’s new adventurous style created the space for Macclesfield to strike and three more goals in the space of five minutes ended the contest.

A sweeping penalty corner routine left Bolton defenders static in the D and a wonderful lofted reverse-stick lift over a plunging keeper, and finally a shock-and-awe attack that left Bolton out on their feet.

The game had a tempered end as a few cards were dished out to the away side and strong words exchanged, but Macclesfield were worthy winners.

They are now 15 points clear with 21 left to play for and it looks like the championship will be theirs.

The men’s seconds fared better when they won a nine-goal thriller at Bowdon eighths in North West Men’s Six East at Altrincham Boys’ Grammar School.

Bolton started much the faster team and were ahead within five minutes, Shahwar Azeem on the scoresheet.

Greg Dorsky soon doubled the advantage with more fine work across the front line.

The Bowdon team are perhaps the most experienced in all of hockey and they’ve earned their reputation of being difficult to overcome.

And they were soon back in the game with a quickfire double, but captain Matt Simpson made sure Bolton went into the half-time break with the lead after a thunderous penalty corner shot.

In the second half, Bowdon once again were back in the game, another equaliser following a slow and steady build up.

Bowdon would then take the lead- a fourth goal and Bolton’s early dominance look to be counting for nothing.

Going into the final 10 minutes, Bolton applied pressure to put an end to the game and they were rewarded with two goals.

The first came via Kryan Chitre and a second, a last-second winner, from Louis Morgon.

The opposition were distraught, the away team delighted with a fine 5-4 win.

Meanwhile, the men’s thirds enjoyed a routine 6-0 win against Sale thirds in North West Men’s Seven East - their third meeting of the season.

Will Dunlop got his first senior goal with Kyle Hatch getting his routine score.

Captain Phil Morgon put on a heroic show, scoring three goals as a makeshift striker for the day and Daniel Parsonson added a sixth as Bolton remain on course for the title.

In contrast, it was a bad day all-round for the women’s firsts who fell to another crushing defeat, 5-0 at Lancashire University women’s firsts in North West Women’s One.

The university side were comfortable throughout, converting three times in the first half, including a penalty strike, and twice in the second for a comprehensive victory.

Defeat leaves the women’s firsts 10 points from safety.

Stockport Bramhall took a second-half lead against Bolton women’s secondss but it was not enough for them as the visitors struck back twice to secure a 2-1 victory in North West Women’s Four East.

Goals from Tash Johnson and Jess Hawkrigg gave the visitors victory to leave them sixth.

Sale Women’s 3’s were the visitors to the pavilion on Sunday morning in North West Women’s Six East and beat the Bolton women’s thirds 3-0.

A goalless first half was punctuated by an action-filled second period but all the goals went to the away side.