BRENDAN Hicks bagged a brace as Black Horse started their defence of the Redditch and South Warwickshire League Premier title with a 5-1 win over CBH Fasteners.

Rubery Bridge made a mockery of the pre-season betting as Paddy Behan scored twice in a 3-1 win at Austin Ex Apprentices.

OKH Sporting Dynamo also sent a warning to the rest of the Premier Division with an 8-2 victory over Lodge Park RA.

In Division One, new signing Adam Crombie was the highest individual goal scorer of the day as New Woodland Cottage set the standard with a table topping 9-3 victory over Royal Oak Alcester.

Winyates Wanderers also lived up to their pre-season title-challenger billing with a 5-0 victory over Redditch Cross.

Coldstream stunned Studley Railway when Jake Booton scored with a 30-yard lob on 28 minutes and Chris Gee’s calm finish in first-half stoppage time took them to a 2-0 half-time lead. When it began to look like it wasn’t their day, two goals in three minutes from Stewart Rowland and George Dailes got the Railway back on track.

With both sides struggling to dominate the game, there were chances at both ends as the game finished all square.

Daniel Bearcroft scored twice as Red Lion roared in to the new season with a 4-1 victory over AFC Lions.

VKL United raced into a 4-1 first half lead at home to Beoley Village, before the visitors rallied and levelled the scores in the second half as Ryan Richards claimed a first day of the season hat-trick on the opening day of the season.

However, Daniel Smiles converted a debut goal with five minutes remaining to secure all three points.

Next week’s fixtures see early front runners Black Horse and Rubery Bridge clash at Studley Sports Centre in the Premier Division, while New Woodland Cottage face Studley Railway as Greenlands and Winyates Wanderers face Red Lion at the HDA.

Results - Premier Division: Austin Ex Apprentices 1 (Nicol), Rubery Bridge 3 (Behan 2, O’Connor); CBH Fasteners 1 (C Davies), Black Horse 5 (Hicks 2, Adams, Byfield, Edwards); Lodge Park RA 2 (Nolan 2), OKH Sporting Dynamo 8 (L Dugmore 2, R Dugmore, Hewitt, Wills 2, Nash, Tranter).

Division one: Coldstream 2 (Booton, Gee), Studley Railway 2 (Rowland, Dailes); Red Lion 4 (Bearcroft 2, Nurthen, Hepburn), AFC Lions 1 (Taylor); Redditch Cross 0, Winyates Wanderers 5 (Reeves, Squibb, Phelan, Bourne 2); Royal Oak Alcester 3 (Kelleher 2, Keen), New Woodland Cottage 9 (McElroy, Byng 2, Crombie 4, Benton); VKL United 5 (Hadley, Smith, Smiles, Murphy 2), Beoley Village 4 ( Richards 3, Manders).

BRT Terry Cup: Redditch Town 0, Millfield Rovers 6 (Smith 2, Walker 2, Hancox, Halsall).

FORTHCOMING FIXTURES 16th August, 2015 PREMIER DIVISION: Black Horse v Rubery Bridge; Millfield Rovers v Austin Ex Apprentices; OKH Sporting Dynamo v CBH Fasteners; Studley Entaco v Lodge Park RA.

DIVISION ONE: AFC Lions v Beoley Village; New Woodland Cottage v Studley Railway; Redolence Park v Coldstream; VKL United v Redditch Cross; Winyates Wanderers v Red Lion.