It’s been a fine season for local hockey clubs with a host of title triumphs.
Spalding men celebrated their East Men’s Division One North crown with a 5-5 draw at home to UEA 1st.
A strong start from Spalding was rewarded with a flurry of goals, one of which was outrageously finished by Tom Amess who rifled a reverse stick shot into the top right corner of the goal.
UEA also converted a couple of chances with the first half ending 3-2 in Spalding’s favour.
A quite touching moment came before the start of the second half with man of the match captain Sam Howitt handing the captain’s armband to his vice Jacob Baker.
Spalding added to their lead after the break but the visitors hit back with three quick goals to make it 5-4.
A last-minute short corner was rattled home to earn a point.
Despite the score, Spalding erupted into celebration as promotion could now be officially celebrated.
Long Sutton Men’s have finished the Division Two North West season on fire with a 7-3 victory at City of Peterborough 4th their fifth in a row.
Josh Baker neatly finished from a tight angle to send Sutton on their way and then scored a reverse stick shot.
Gary Hales’ audacious sweeping lob made it 3-0 at the break.
Josh Foray netted a fourth but a quick-fire double from Baker, making it four for the game, confirmed a win that sealed fifth place in the league before Hales scored amid a wide-open ending.
In the same division Matt Sanders and David Dorey-Rodriguez were on target for Spalding Men’s 2nd in 7-2 defeat at Cambridge City 4th.
In Division Four North West Long Sutton Men’s 2nd rounded off a brilliant season with an emphatic 11-0 win over Cambridge South 5th.
They scored 105 goals and conceded just 16 as they dropped only five points all season. Their bid to reach a century of goals for the season was reached easily on Saturday with five second half goals from
Daniel Batten, two each from both Will and Ian White, Frazer Watt and Josh Norrey scoring.
Spalding Men’s 4th finished fifth in the same league ending with a big 7-1 win over March Town 2nd.
They scored in the first minute as Aaron Scholes won a short corner after a mazy dribble and Dave Burrell executed a trademark bobble shot.
March made it 1-1 but Spalding ended the half strongly, Burrell again netting, Graeme Matthew on target twice and Jason Naylor from a short corner routine to make it 5-1 at the break.
Long Sutton Men’s 3rd rounded off their season in Division Five North West with a 4-1 win over Bourne Deeping 5th.
Despite plenty of chances, they were unable to find the back of the net in the opening half with the defence of Gary Croxford, Jack Smith, Steven Milnes and Josh Smith.
Hales opened the scoring for the hosts only for Bourne to hit back.
Sutton hit back almost immediately though, Norrey finding the corner for a first goal of the season before Hales and Matt Braginton capped the win.
Scholes scored a penalty stroke after Burrell was tripped in the second half before Jack Martin’s accurate shot rounded off the scoring.
Spalding Men’s 5th had already been crowned Division Six North West champions but with Wisbech 5th unable to raise a side they were given a walkover this weekend.
Spalding Ladies’ made it 21 wins out of 22 with 145 scored and just 16 conceded with a 6-0 win at Bourne Deeping.
Ellie Holland, Charlotte Maplethorpe and Mia Dewing netted in the first half.
Despite having much of the possession and creating chances, only three further goals from Dewing, Hennie Boekestyn and Maddie Haunch made an impact on a resilient Bourne.
The final score of 6-0 was comfortable if not always convincing with Abbie Hodgett in the Spalding goal making decent saves to ensure an 11th clean sheet of the season.
Long Sutton Ladies’ 1st scheduled game at Kettering in the same decision was called off and awarded as a walkover victory to the home side.
In Division Three North West Spalding Ladies’ 2nd finished fourth and the third team 11th after both teams rounded off the campaign with victories.
The 2nds beat a strong Huntingdon side 3-0 with a neat tap in from Kate Amess and fine finish from Lauren Spenceley putting the home side 2-0 up at the break.
Player-of-the-match Erin McMurray rounded the win off by dribbling from the half way line before beating the keeper one-on-one.
The 3rds finished with two wins out of three and a 2-1 victory at bottom of the table City of Peterborough 4th.
With Sophie Wilson, Emily Wright and Tabitha Dunnett causing chaos, Peterborough held firm and took the lead from a short corner.
Milly Hastings pulled Spalding level and just as the game looked set to end level, out of nowhere, a beautifully timed strike from player of the match Ali Willson whizzed past the keeper’s feet to make it 2-1.
Long Sutton Women’s 2nd finished the East Division Five North West season in third place with a 0-0 draw at home to Ely City 3rd.
Sutton have a very sound defensive unit with Julie Skate, Claire Sisson, George Synnott and Gemma Parr standing firm, ably supported by the mid-field line of Esme Whitelam, Emma Grosvenor and Jasmine Smith who were tracking back to ensure that Ely could not get a foothold in the game.
Sutton began to take control and the forward line of Florence Perowne, Wendy Canham and Amelia Norey were making inroads into the D but the final outcome was just eluded them.
A spokesman for the club said: “It’s a season that they can be very proud of that has seen tremendous growth in both the more senior ladies as well as an extremely talented group of youngsters.”
