Spalding Hockey Club’s mixed team cruised to an emphatic 7-1 success over Lincoln Roses to make progress in the England Hockey Mixed Trophy on Sunday.
Hosts Spalding struck first at Glen Park with a fine finish by ladies’ 1st team captain Kelly Tuplin after just nine minutes – but Roses equalised from a well struck penalty corner a few minutes later.
Spalding, who rotated their large squad constantly, moved back ahead when Eva Keyes finished with a rocket shot.
Master marksman Stuart Cunnington was dominant in central midfield, then found a rampaging Ash Barker who finished well into the corner of the goal to give the home side a 3-1 half time lead.
After the break Cunnington teed-up Russ Watts for number four, before grabbing the fifth himself with a super reverse stick strike.
Now playing some fast, free flowing hockey and having long periods of dominance, Spalding completed the rout when Cunnington buried a drag flick effort from a penalty corner and completed his hat-trick with yet another fine reverse stick finish.
- Long Sutton’s mixed side were knocked out of the same competition as an early Norwich Dragons goal clinched a 1-0 victory on Sunday.
In a match of end-to-end hockey, Dragons scored in the ninth minute and held on to the lead despite some excellent play from the Sutton side.
Sutton’s ladies were not overawed by their Dragons counterparts, who play two levels higher in the East Women’s League.
In what was a good all round good team performance, Ash Taylor for the men and Charlene Leuty for the girls stood out as Sutton’s top players of the match.
- Long Sutton’s 2nd side were denied an impressive East Men’s Hockey League win over Division 3NW rivals City of Peterborough 5th by the weather on Saturday.
A stunning treble from Alex Canham and a Ben Shore strike gave Sutton a 4-1 advantage at half time, but a heavy snow shower forced the game to be abandoned.
It was tough on Sutton and man-of-the-match Canham, who would have jumped out of the bottom two with what would have been a fourth win of the season.
All of Saturday’s other hockey was snowed off.
