DECLAN Balmer scored his first ever Basingstoke Bison hat-trick as the Herd out classed the visiting Hull Pirates 10-0, to take a step close to the English Premier League title.

The home side welcomed Joe Greener, Alan Lack and Grant Rounding back into their line-up, which allowed Bison head coach to use four forward lines during the game.

The Pirates started brightly and former Hull man Bison goalie Jon Baston had to be alert to keep them out.

This was then all to change as the Bison took control of the game with three goals in the space of three minutes.

Captain Aaron Connolly was the first to find the back of the net with a close range effort and then Balmer fired home with a blue line bullet.

The trio of goals was completed by Lack after a lovely set-up play from Rene Jarolin.

At this point, Hull called a time-out, but the home side continued to dominate and only a great save from Ashley Smith denied Matt Towalski after good work from Ryan Watt.

The Herd added a fourth goal at 15:32 as Lack bagged his second of the game from close range and then Greener was given a 2+10 for checking from behind after a crunching check on Jordan Fisher.

During the powerplay Pasi Salonen deflected over a blue line shot from the impressive Jonathan Kirk.

The second session continued like the first with Hull working hard, while the Bison maintained their clinical finishing.

The Herd’s first powerplay of the night, saw Balmer again hit the back of the net from the blue line.

The home side added a sixth goal, as Hull goalie Smith tried to clear the puck, but only found Tomas Karpov and he fed Ciaran Long who skated across the front of the goal, before slotting home.

Soon after, Hull had the best chances of the period and the puck bounced around the Bison goal, but they were unable to put it in.

The Herd made the most of the let off as Towalski skated down the left wing and scored with a superb wrist shot.

This saw the visitors swap their netminders as Martins Raitums took over between the pipes.

He was beaten by the first shot he faced as Karpov fired the puck through the legs of the new goalie.

For the start of the final session, the Bison swapped their goalies as Baston made way for Dan Weller-Evans.

The home side made it 9-0 as Greener netted at the back post from Joe Baird and then the home side thought they had scored again, as excellent work from Rounding set-up Dan Lackey to score.

However, the goal was disallowed as the net had come off its moorings.

The Bison did take their tally into double figures on their final powerplay of the night. Lackey and Ryan Sutton combined for man of the match Balmer to hammer home his hat-trick goal once more from the blue line.

Soon after, Sutton set-up Rounding and his shot somehow rolled across the goal line and to safety.

As the game came to close and with Hull on the powerplay, Weller-Evans made sure of a 21 shot shut-out for the Herd as he saved from Tommi Laine and Lee Bonner.

The Bison are not in action tonight, their next game is away at the reigning league champions the Telford Tigers on Saturday (6pm) and they know two wins from four games will be enough to secure the title.