Bolton Hockey Club’s men’s seconds ended the 100-per-cent start of South Manchester men’s seconds in North West Men’s Division Six East with an impressive 3-1 away win.

The newly-promoted hosts had been finding life in the league above easy but faced their first stern test in the form on Bolton.

Meanwhile, the visitors had not had a proper run out, with a walkover victory and an inter-club derby meaning they were still getting into their stride.

Bolton controlled much of the early going in stifling conditions for October.

The midfield was excellently anchored by James Taylor, who mopped up any sign of South Manchester attacks before launching Bolton counters.

It seemed inevitable Bolton would open the scoring - and they did from a penalty corner. It was not exactly routine - a miss-hit from skipper Matt Simpson was picked up by Matt Frost who slotted home.

Frost soon had his, and the team’s, second. Excellent work from Edward Lynch saw the ball move out to Kyle Hatch, who squared for Frost to poke the ball goalwards and it rolled slowly over the line.

In the second half, Bolton wrapped up the game when Louie Morgan got on the scoresheet after a wonderful cross-field pass from Cameron Hall, the full-back splitting the defence and Morgan taking one touch before lifting it over the keeper into the net.

South Manchester scored a consolation with 30 seconds to go, but it was Bolton’s day.

The men’s firsts returned to the Leverhulme Pavilion after their first win, facing an impressive Bowdon thirds side who had won their first two games of the season in North West Men’s Division Three South.

Bowdon opened the scoring with an early goal from open play, ruthlessly exposing Bolton’s sluggish defensive start to take the lead.

The hosts hit back, and earned their first penalty corner.

While the initial effort was blocked, the attackers kept he ball alive long enough for Sam Robertson to put the ball away to equalise.

But Bowdon took the half-time lead just before the break, a scrappy goal that should have been cleared as Bolton rued more slack defending.

After the interval, Bolton hit back when a ball to nothing from Joel Reiss was hit long up the pitch and picked up by Lee Ramage, whose instant control and snap-shot beat the keeper before he had time to set himself.

The game was now in the balance and both teams pushed for a winner.

Bolton struck the post with Bowdon scrambling the ball away, before the away team went up the other end and scored from a sublimely-worked penalty corner. Two dummy runs bamboozled the Bolton defence and the ball was slotted into the bottom corner.

Bolton pushed for a third equaliser, but it was Bowdon who scored a fourth - a more routine penalty corner flicked into the corner to finish the scoring as the home side’s valiant effort ending in a 4-2 loss.

The men’s thirds were looking to make up for a difficult away day at Buxton, and had the veterans of Bowdon sevenths to play - the masters of the dark art’s of hockey.

It was imperative the younger fitter Bolton team used their physical advantage, but it was Bowdon who took a first-half lead as they worked the ball up the pitch in neat triangles before slotting home past the despairing keeper.

Bolton came out in the second half keen to make amends, and in four late minutes it seemed they had turned the game on it’s head as Daniel Parsonson twice scored from open play. The youngster used his pace to stretch the Bowdon defence and slot home two fine finishes to take the lead. All Bolton had to do was hang on.

But it was not to be. A last-minute penalty corner was diverted into the net by the away side to share the spoils in a 2-2 draw in North West Men’s Division Six East.

The women’s firsts travelled to Liverpool Sefton seconds, hoping to build on the previous week’s fantastic draw in North West Women’s Division Two South.

It was a tight first half of few chances, both teams probing but neither finding a breakthrough.

The match was decided by one moment of magic from the Sefton goalscorer in the second half, making a smart move to lose her marker before receiving a sharp pass and slotting in a fine finish passed the diving keeper.

Bolton put the pressure on to score the equaliser but Sefton held on for a 1-0 win.

It looked like it was going to be a good day in North West Women’s Division Four East for Bolton Women’s seconds when they took an early lead at Didsbury Grey’s seconds - Emma Begg opening the scoring within five minutes.

But from that moment on it went from bad to worse as Bolton shipped goals at an alarmingly regular rate, eventually losing 8-1.

The ever-improving women’s thirds lost 3-1 at home to Bowdon sevenths in North West Women’s Division Six East

The visitors took an early lead, but Bolton hit back through a tidy finish from Evelyn Clayden, opening her account for the season.

Both teams had chances to take the lead before half time, but it was Bowdon who snuck in at the break 2-1 up.

Bolton pushed in the second half, looking for a well-deserved equaliser.

However, the higher they pushed the more at risk they became at the back and with only seconds remaining, Bowdon scored a third to make the game safe.