The top-of-the-table clash in East Men’s Hockey League Division 4NW went the way of Spalding 2nd on Saturday as they clinched promotion with a 3-2 win over club rivals Spalding 3rd.
Both teams knew a victory would hand them the upper hand in the title race – so the tension at Glen Park was palpable from the off.
Honours were even at the interval, with Robert Tilbrook’s opener for the 3rd side cancelled out by a Glenn Perkins equaliser.
The second saw the second side boss possession, but the 3rd team were always dangerous on the break.
Indeed, a Steve Rogers strike gave the second-placed third side hope of victory but Perkins’ second goal and strike from Glenn Richardson saw the 2nd team edge the contest 3-2.
The victory leaves Spalding 2nd one win away from the title, while Spalding 3rd are still odds-on to clinch promotion with two games left.
Up in Premier B, a depleted Spalding 1st side slipped to a 4-3 defeat at champions Letchworth 1st.
With 3rd team keeper Ian Cesar and youngster Tom Mayhew stepping up, it was an experimental line-up for Glen Park’s top team.
Stuart Cunnington’s short corner strike put them 1-0 ahead early on, but Letchworth levelled before the break.
Three goals in the early stages of the second half gave the table-toppers a 4-1 advantage, only for Steve Rogers and Cunnington to grab late strikes to set up a grandstand finish.
At the other end of the table, Long Sutton’s plight remains perilous after a 5-2 reverse at second-placed Waltham Forest.
Fred Whatling and Ben Shore combined to tee up Danny Sisson for the opener for Sutton, but they fell 4-1 down at the interval.
Sisson’s second gave Sutton hope in the second period, but Forest fired a fifth ten minutes from time to settle the showdown.
The loss sees Sutton stay two points above the drop zone with two games to play.
Long Sutton 2nd are also just outside of the Division 3NW drop zone after a heavy 6-0 beating by Cambridge Uni 3rd. It’s now five successive losses for the Sutton lads.
In Division 5NW, youthful Spalding 4th were handed a 5-0 reverse by fellow strugglers St Ives 4th, who leapfrog them in the table as a result.
Down in Division 6NW (N), Long Sutton 4th took the derby spoils with 5-3 win over Spalding 5th – derailing the latter’s promotion bid.
Ady Bettinson swept Spalding ahead, only for Josh Baker’s strike to turn the tables in Sutton’s favour before Bailey Harker’s first ever senior goal made it 2-2 at half time. John Sullivan’s early strike in the second period then put Sutton 3-2 to the good, but Ben Scholes hit back for Spalding.
However, further goals from Sullivan and Baker’s hat-trick strike won it for Sutton.
- Two goals from Karen Timby couldn’t stop Spalding Poachers 1st going down 3-2 against COP 1st in a East Women’s Hockey League Division 1N clash on Saturday.
Already relegated Spalding found themselves 3-0 down at the interval, but Timby buried two well-truck short corners to give the scoreline a respectable feel at Glen Park.
There was an all-Spalding clash down in Division 3NW – and the result went with the form book as the Poachers’ 2nd string beat Spalding 3rd 5-0.
Lucy Simpson (2), Evie Maltby (2) and Charlotte Morris got the goals.
Up in Division 2NW, Long Sutton ladies’ 1st were held to a 1-1 draw against Cambs Uni 2nd. Leanne Woodhead got Sutton’s goal.
