Veteran Barry Cox scored a double while captain Gordon Black netted a goal of the season contender as Helensburgh Hockey Club’s first XI kept up their push for a highest league finish in more than 30 years with an impressive 5-1 win at home to Rottenrow on Saturday.

The hosts dominated the early possession but the away side, who came into the match in third place in the table, defended well in the opening stages.

It soon became clear that Nick Groves’ ability to create space down the right was Burgh’s best attacking option, and Groves played a key role in the opening goal, skipping past an opponent before sending the ball into the shooting circle - and though Cox’s shot was well defended, Black at the top of the circle deftly lifted the ball above any oncoming defenders, sending it into the top corner of the net – an excellent move rounded off by a memorable finish.

Helensburgh controlled the rest of the first half, and their first penalty corner of the game nearly yielded a second goal, but a great stick save from the Rottenrow keeper kept out Black’s drag flick towards the top corner and meant there was only one goal in it at half time.

Rottenrow got right back into the game at the start of the second half, piling the pressure on the hosts, and it wasn’t long before the visitors were level as Helensburgh’s defence was outnumbered and the free Rottenrow striker didn’t struggle to find the back of an open goal.

But the equaliser only seemed to fire Helensburgh up – and in fact the home side bounced back almost immediately.

Some neat play by Ormsby in the middle of the pitch found Callum Sumsion out wide, and his ball on was met by Gavin Mackenzie, whose shot, in turn, bobbled up awkwardly – but the experienced Cox was on hand to deflect the ball into the net.

And the hosts kept up the pressure with Mackenzie picking the ball up deep inside the Rottenrow half and beating four defenders to slot the ball home for an excellent individual effort.

Not to be outdone, returning Helensburgh player Ali Stewart went on a run of his own, taking the ball from the left wing past a succession of opponents to smash the ball home from a tight angle and make it 4-1.

Mackenzie alone could have had plenty of goals in the second half – none more so than a gilt-edged chance created by Ormsby which left Mackenzie in front of almost an open goal, but his flick went high and wide.

Another chance for Mackenzie saw him one-on-one with the Rottenrow keeper, but the visitors’ shot-stopper came out on top.

Yet another Mackenzie opportunity saw Rottenrow’s keeper save a shot low to the ground; this time Cox calmly lifted the rebound into the net, but the goal was ruled out as the keeper’s helmet had come off and it was deemed dangerous.

But Helensburgh weren’t to be denied their fifth, and it was Cox who had the final say after another well-worked move: an excellent searching ball from Gavin McWilliam at the back found Cox, and he in turn picked out Mackenzie, who charged into the shooting circle before slipping the ball under the oncoming keeper for Cox, who had continued his run, to complete the scoring with a simple finish.

Helensburgh team: Mark Findlay; Gavin McWilliam; Callum Sumsion; David McGregor; Mark Ormsby; Gordon Black (c)(1); Ross Hynes; Nick Groves; Sean Caulfield; Gavin Mackenzie (1); Barry Cox (2); Daniel Dooley; Thomas Harris; Ali Stewart (1). Thanks to Andy Richardson and David O’Donnell for umpiring.

This Saturday, March 26, Helensburgh play their penultimate game of the West District first division campaign away to league leaders Hillhead 3, looking to go one better than the 1-1 draw when the teams last met.

If Helensburgh don’t win on Saturday, the league title will go to Hillhead; if Burgh do take full points, though, it would keep them on course to finish the season in third place, a position not achieved since the early 1990s.