Cotton opened his account inside the first seven minutes, putting one in the top corner to set the tone for a big day at the office.
Nick Parata grabbed the second not long after, before Cotton was at it again as he rounded Morgan McLean, putting one away on his reverse.
Josh Stevens got in on the act at the start of the second quarter, and was joined by Cotton again and big Johnny Thorn. Parata nabbed his second and it was 7-0 inside the first half.
There was joy for Southland, though, as they got on the scoresheet through a William Dickey penalty corner that beat Ben Sinnamon in the Albany goal.
After the break, Parata completed his hat-trick, and Henry Storey got one either side of Cotton bagging his fourth and his fifth in a stunning display from the young striker. His last was the pick of the bunch, a well-executed drag-flick that delighted captain Thorn.
Albany were not the only side to hit double digits, Kings United hammering the University Panthers 10-0. The goals were well shared around, including a first premier goal from Archie Colquhoun.
In the other premier men’s game, it was business as usual for the Taieri Tuataras who chalked up an easy 4-0 win over the University Whales. James Nicolson and Manu Henderson each scored twice for Taieri.
Cotton could not keep his magic going as he quickly switched into coach with the Momona women’s team, who were beaten 2-0 by the City Highlanders.
It was a tight game between the two title favourites, but City’s extra quality shone through. Annabelle Schneideman put one in the top corner, before Billie Crowe doubled the score, finishing off a well-constructed team move.
Irish international Holly Micklem made an instant impact between the sticks for the Taieri Tigers, but her goal was breached once, and it proved enough for Kings United to grab a 1-0 win.
It was not pretty, as Micklem made save after save, but Madi Lobb found a way to keep Kings well in the hunt for finals hockey.
In the evening’s final game, the two understrength University sides met and, as a result, the Huskies surrendered crucial competition points.
Missing several key players, the Huskies were unable to dominate the Stingrays as they would have liked, being held to a 2-2 draw. A shootout win was somewhat of a saving grace, but it keeps Taieri firmly in the picture for the top four.
By Nicholas Friedlander
