A hat-trick from Jonathan Whitefield helped Panthers to a 6-3 win over Upstarts last weekend, as the team continued to tighten their lock on the men’s league with strong performances.

Upstarts actually opened the scoring in this Sunday match, with Phil Trussel finding the target five minutes in.

However, Whitefield hammered away his first of the match just nine minutes later to draw Panthers even.

From that moment, the first half of play belonged to Panthers. Matt Spencer hit his first and second goals of the match within the next seven minutes.

Dave Horan then found the touch on a short-corner routine to take Panthers to the break with a 4-1 advantage.

Upstarts came back in the second half with determination which soon paid off as Donnie Moniz hit the mark in the 42nd minute of play followed by a second Upstarts on-target effort seven minutes later.

But Whitefield had more to offer on this outing, and put away his second and third goals three minutes apart as the match wound down.

In other men’s play, Chameleons and Polecats stalled at a 1-1 draw. Tim Goodyear put Chameleon’s first on the board but Kian Wookey found an answering goal on a short-corner routine before the end of the first half. The second half saw play see-saw with neither team able to find a winner.

Panthers lead the men’s league with 18 points. Chameleons and Polecats follow tied at 13 points while Upstarts and Rebels are also tied at seven points apiece.

In the Women’s A league, Emma Simmons struck home two goals to lead Ravens to a 3-0 win over Canaries. Ana Abend scored the third goal.

And Swallows had a strong 5-1 showing against Swifts. Swifts’ Brittany Farias found the touch on a short corner for the first goal of the match but Swallows soon captured the momentum.

Jenny Burrell opened the scoring for the winners and Joann Wilson followed, netting two goals for the day.

Yvonne Slattery and Hannah Ellison each contributed a second-half goal as Swallows collected their three points.

Swallows lead the A league with 23 points followed by Ravens (15), Canaries (11), Wildcats (eight) and Swifts, who are winless to date with just one point.

Swifts B squad are a completely different story, however, mounting a challenge to table-topping Ravens this weekend as they collected two, goal-heavy shutouts against Cardinals and Bluebirds.

Swifts pounded away seven open-play goals as they took down Cards on Saturday.

Milan Wall-Burgess, Angela Dunstan and Jasmine Patterson each contributed two goals toward the win while Keishae Robinson added one.

In Monday’s night’s 4-0 tromping of Bluebirds, however, Robinson led the scoring with two goals, while Milan-Burgess and Dunstan collected one apiece.

In other B play, Ravens defeated Canaries 5-1, with Rachael Beasley and Liz Gardner each hitting the mark twice in open play and Louisa Freisenbruch adding the fifth with a successful short-corner conversion.

Nicola Bird scored the lone goal for Canaries. Wildcats collected a 1-0 win over Bluebirds on Saturday with captain Carmen Adebiyi breaking a 59-minute deadlock with her successful strike.

Ravens lead the league with 29 points followed closely by Swifts at 27, Swallows and Bluebirds both at 17, Wildcats at 11 and Cardinals and Canaries at eight and five points respectively.