Doubles from Glenn Perkins and Hector Moore guided Spalding 2nd to a sublime 5-0 win in their first East Men’s Hockey League Division 3NW clash on Saturday.
Their victims at Glen Park were St Ives 2nd, who found Spalding too hot to handle in every department.
Mike Riley opened the scoring with a neat flick into the net, before Perkins doubled their advantage with a well-struck short corner.
Not done there, Moore then slapped in number three to make it 3-0 at the break.
The one-way traffic continued after the interval as both Perkins and Moore added goals to complete a top team performance.
They enjoyed their afternoon a little more than Spalding’s leading side in Division One. The newly-promoted Lincolnshire champions were battered 6-2 by Chelmsford 2nd as they learned life was a little harder at their new level.
The 100-mile journey left the boys looking and feeling sluggish as they struggled to get going on a very wet and slippery turf.
They trailed 3-1 at the interval despite Henry Temple-Baxter setting up Connor Allen for a ferocious half-volley finish.
Temple-Baxter did get himself on the scoresheet in the second period, but three more Chelmsford goals gave the Essex side the points.
Rob Dalton, who worked tirelessly in midfield, was Spalding’s man-of-the-match.
Down in Division 4NW, promoted Spalding 3rd secured a point as they held St Ives 3rd to a 1-1 draw.
Steve Rogers fired their best chance of a goalless first period wide after a neat through ball from Darren Grooby.
A penalty stroke then gave St Ives the lead in the second half, but Peter Gray scored a cracking goal from a fizzing cross to level the scores 15 minutes from time.
There was also a draw for Spading 4th in their Division 5NW opener against Cambridge South 3rd.
Relegated last term, Cambs were a tough test for Spalding – and they found themselves 1-0 down at half time.
But they came flying out of the traps in the second period and soon moved 2-1 up thanks to a Ryan Mountney short corner and James Stone’s deflection finish.
Spalding looked in control after that, but the game finished 2-2 thanks to a swift South breakway.
Spalding 5th, meanwhile, were soundly beaten 6-0 by Grantham 1st in their Division 6NW (N) opener.
That was, despite the youthful midfield of Carlos Ortiz-Jimenez and David Dorey with George Swindells working tirelessly. It was a tough day for Ady Bettinson, who made his debut in goal.
- Long Sutton 4th were South Holland’s top scoring men’s team of the weekend as they battered Bourne/Deeping 6th 7-1 in East Men’s Hockey League Division 6NW (N) on Saturday.
Experienced striker James Baker and unheralded newcomer Luke Proctor both bagged trebles for Sutton, with Gary Hales adding the seventh goal in Sutton’s biggest win for some years.
South Holland’s top ranked side, Long Sutton 1st, banked their first point of the campaign with a 1-1 draw against Waltham Forest 1st in Premier B.
They trailed 1-0 at the half-time interval, but in the closing stages debutant Adam Wiles glided into the D superbly – and as the challenge came in the ball found its way to captain Jimmy Harrison who managed to slot home deservingly.
It was a hard-fought and deserved point for Sutton.
In contrast, Long Sutton 2nd were humbled 6-0 by St Neots 1st in Division 3NW.
They shipped three goals in each half as they were soundly beaten by their hosts, although Harry Thorpe and George Jackson enjoyed solid debuts and keeper James Cliffe put in a man-of-the-match showing.
There was also an opening day defeat for Long Sutton 3rd in Division 5NW, as they were handed a 4-2 reverse by rivals Wisbech Town 4th.
Bedding a few new faces in, Sutton started poorly and found themselves 3-0 down after just 20 minutes of the game. However, they rallied and pulled one back thanks to a solo run and finish by David Maris.
Debutant Will White then scored mid-way through the second half to spur a much-improved Sutton forward. But, despite great defensive work by Harry Synott and star man Steven Milnes, Wisbech added a decisive fourth late on.
Saturday’s East Men’s League fixtures
Premier B – Saffron Walden v Long Sutton (1.30pm).
D1 – Spalding v Colchester (3.30pm).
3NW – Long Sutton 2nd v Wisbech 2nd (2.30pm); COP 5th v Spalding 2nd (10am).
4NW – Spalding 3rd v COP 6th (12.30pm).
5NW – Long Sutton 3rd v Spalding 4th (11.30am).
6NW – Leadenham 2nd v Long Sutton 4th; Spalding 5th v COP 9th (5pm).
