National League Div 2SE: Invicta Mustangs 2 Lee Valley Lions 8

Lee Valley Lions recorded their first win of the new season in style with an emphatic success in Gillingham.

Beaten by Chelmsford and London neighbours Haringey in their first two matches of the new Division Two South East campaign, Lions roared out of the blocks and took the lead after only 23 seconds with an unassisted effort from Nick Alley.

Alley finished the night with seven points to his name, combining with Mark Robinson to set up Grant Bignell on a powerplay to make it 2-0 inside five minutes.

And Alley collected another assist, alongside Jarvis Mewett, as James Hepburn claimed a shorthanded third for the visitors in the 15th minute.

Robinson made it 4-0 at 25:16, before Alley grabbed his second on an assist from Hepburn just before the midway mark.

Alley completed his hat-trick from Bignell’s pass, on a delayed penalty call at 31:21, then set up Max Gerstein to make it 7-0 before the second interval as Aaron Mallet held firm in the Lions net with 33 saves to his name.

Alley claimed his fourth goal of the night early in the final stanza, but hopes of a shutout were shattered by Kwame Holt in the 48th minute and Bradley Gutridge grabbed a second for the home side soon after.

Lions were still comfortable winners, though, and will look to build on their success when they travel to Peterborough next Saturday.

Invicta: Gutridge 1+1 Holt 1 Clayton 0+2 Luton 0+1.

Lions: Alley 4+3 Hepburn 1+1 Bignell 1+1 Robinson 1+1 Gerstein 1 Mewett 0+2 Drake 0+1.

Shots faced: Passmore (Inv) 32 Mallet (Lions) 50.