Canadian Justin Noble netted four goals on Saturday night and helped the Dynamos overcome the Oxford City Stars 11-2 in the Southern Cup.

Invicta Head Coach Kevin Parrish told local press before the start of the weekend that he wanted his side to ‘turn the corner’ during their upcoming double header and it seems his squad understood his message as, despite travelling without Nicky Lewis, Adam Copland, Andy and Tim Smith and Callum Fowler, they raced into a 4-0 lead come the close of the opening frame.

An unassisted strike from Joe Bliss had them in front in the fifth minute before Anthony Lennon and Callum Best combined to tee up Justin Noble for his first of the night just 41 seconds later. Midway through, forward Nathaniel Rose then put away his second goal for the club since joining in the summer ahead of ‘import’ Peter Vaisanen claiming the team’s fourth with a shorthanded strike whilst Lennon sat a slashing minor. Despite the Stars testing Dynamos goalie Andy Moffat with twelve efforts of their own throughout the period, the visiting netminder stood firm to give his club a 4-0 lead come the break.

In the second frame Oxford’s deficit grew to five not long after the restart as blue liner Arran Strawson netted his first ever goal for the away team with a drive beyond James Skaife in the third minute. The hosts would answer through Josh Oliver to make it 5-1 but, from then on, the Dynamos would go on to dominate the remainder of the period and surge out of reach. Four goals before the end of the frame saw the visitors build an insurmountable 9-1 advantage with forward Daniel Fudger claiming the first of the quartet after being teed up by defenceman Anthony Lennon. The next came when Justin Noble swept in for his second of the night, unassisted, to make it 7-1, before the Canadian then setup Callum Best for the team’s eighth shortly after. With time winding down, and Sam Broughton sitting in the penalty box for the Stars, Noble then claimed his hat-trick completing third to take his scoring tally for the season to eight in nine appearances.

In the final period the visitors had the opportunity to lower the tempo with a home tie against Chelmsford to follow on Sunday, and the hosts took advantage as Michael Raff struck beyond Andy Moffat to claim a second consolation for Oxford. That would be the Stars last of the night though with the Dynamos hitting the net on two more occasions before the final buzzer sounded to complete an 11-2 victory. Grant Baxter put the puck over the line whilst Andrew Cox sat a tripping minor to give the visitors their second powerplay goal of the evening and take them into double figures. Justin Noble then added the last of the night five minutes from time, to complete the rout, and take his own personal tally for the tie to four.

So it was an emphatic win for the Dynamos and one that will provide the squad with a confidence boost albeit in a game against NIHL South Division 2 opponents. Man of the match awards on the night went to four goal hero Justin Noble of the visitors whilst Sam Arnold took the plaudits for the well beaten hosts.