A sensational seven-minute hat-trick from Darren Elliott helped Oxford City Stars to take the English League Cup South with an 8-6 victory over Invicta Dynamos at a packed Oxford Ice Rink on Sunday.

It was the third time Stars, who played in front of a crowd of about 600 fans, 100 of whom were from Kent, have beaten league champions Dynamos this season.

But they did it the hard way, having to come from behind after Paul Hume had given Invicta an eighth-minute lead.

A few minutes later, Oxford's Elliott was treated for the effects of a heavy check from behind into the boards, before his side equalised in the resulting powerplay through left-wing Scott Gough.

Invicta then regained the lead when an Oxford defenceman played the puck across the ice where it hit a teammate's skate, giving Andy Martinas the simple task of slotting home for a 2-1 lead.

Early in the second period, Elliott levelled for Oxford, before he gave Stars the lead with a short-handed breakaway goal.

Minutes later, Elliott completed his hat-trick as Oxford took a 4-2 lead.

Oxford then relaxed as Adam Smith and Hume's second brought the visitors level.

Stars' netminder Jamie Thompson was enjoying a fine game, making a number of decent saves to keep the visitors at bay.

Alan Green then put Oxford back ahead a couple of minutes from the end of the period with a powerful slapshot that went just under the crossbar and thudded into the back bar of the net.

The third period saw Stars take command when first Gary Slevin finished cleverly after breaking clear of the Invicta defence, before Green pushed home the rebound from a Dan Prachar shot.

Goal No 8 came when a slapshot ricocheted in off a skate after going through a crowd of players in front of Invicta's goal.

But the Kent side didn't give up and their player-coach Phil Chard knocked the puck home in the 51st minute.

Oxford had been easing back and trying to sit on their lead for some time and although Invicta pulled back another consolation goal through Peter Beerling in the last minute, the result was never in any doubt as they made it six cups wins out of six.

Oxford's scorers: D Elliott 3+0, A Green 2+1, S Gough 2+0, G Slevin 1+0, D Flint 0+4, D Prachar 0+1, N Eden 0+1.