It’s now ten defeats from as many games in East Men’s Hockey League Division 2N for Long Sutton 1st after Saturday’s 9-1 defeat at University of East Anglia 1st.
Sutton were short of a number of regular faces, but were grateful to Jack Smith for stepping up to help out and Will White for travelling back from university to play.
Sutton started resolutely and defended well, but after 14 minutes the students opened the scoring and breached the defence five times in the first half.
It would have been more but for Brad Whitmore, who was inspired in the Sutton goal.
Within five minutes of the second half there was an incident where Josh Baker took an accidental stick to the eye resulting in him being shocked, bruised and dazed.
That saw him taken to hospital, with Sutton themselves struggling to keep going.
They shipped four more goals, but did pull one back through Jacob Synott after good work by Alex Canham and Will Taylor.
Once again, only top keeping from Whitmore kept the score down.
Sutton are now four points adrift at the bottom of the table.
Elsewhere, the vast majority of the fixtures involving South Holland sides were postponed.
Spalding 3rd did complete their fixture at Cambridge South 3rd in Division 4NW, but went down 5-1 in a largely one-sided contest.
SATURDAY FIXTURES
East Men’s Hockey League: Premier B –Spalding 1st v Bourne Deeping 1st (2pm). Division 2N – Kettering 1st v Long Sutton 1st (1pm). Division 3NW – Cambridge South 2nd v Spalding 2nd (noon). Division 4NW – Spalding 3rd v Cambridge Nomads 2nd (3.30pm). Division 5NW – Spalding 4th v Louth 2nd (11am). Division 6NW (N) – Leadenham 3rd v Long Sutton 3rd (1.30pm); Spalding 5th v Alford 2nd (5pm).
East Women’s Hockey League: Division 2NW – Spalding 1st v Dereham 2nd (12.30pm). Division 3NW – Ely City 1st v Spalding 2nd (noon). Division 4NW – Spalding 3rd v Wisbech Town 2nd (11am).
