CHARLIE Smith scored a hat-trick as Ben Rhydding men beat bottom of the league York 6-4 in a thrilling home match on Saturday.

Rhydding played some great hockey and it did not take long for Smith to start on his hat-trick, taking his team into the lead.

The game was end to end as both teams looked to play fast break hockey and Torran Hockley made some important saves for Rhydding.

However, York unleashed an impressive drag flick to level the scores at 1-1 from their first corner.

Smith struck again after some good baseline work by Callum Franks.

Will McHugh deflected a perfect cross from Smith to stretch Rhydding’s lead to 3-1 at half-time.

Rhydding were in control but confusion over an umpiring decision caught them out and York broke away and scored to give them a lifeline back into the game at 3-2.

Rhydding picked up the flow again and Smith scored a spectacular individual goal for his hat-trick and to take Rhydding to a 4-2 lead.

Rhydding looked to be in the ascendancy but an indulgent yellow card meant they were caught in underload from the free hit and York’s star player seized the chance to claw back to 4-3.

York then got a yellow card and numbers were even again and Rhydding stepped up the pace.

Keeping the ball patiently, a great passage of play ended with young Rob Elsworth smashing home a quality goal to widen the gap to 5-3.

But York bit back again and scored from a corner to chase the game back to 5-4.

Rhydding replied immediately with a string of passes ending in Rob Elsworth nudging the ball to Will Musgrave, who slotted easily to seal the game at 6-4.

l Ben Rhydding Ladies also scored a decisive 5-2 victory over Brooklands to put them fourth in Division One North.

Tanisha Janzen (2), Rachel Doherty, Millie Pollock and Beth Cordukes scored the goals for the ladies.

The men, who are fifth in the league, play their last home game of the season this Saturday against Whitley Bay and Tynemouth at 3pm.

The ladies play a rearranged league game against Stourport at home on Sunday at 12.30pm, while the men's over 50s travel to Stourport to play in the semi-final of the England Hockey Masters Championships.