Spalding 1st completed the first half of their East Men’s Hockey League Premier B campaign with a disappointing derby defeat on Saturday.
Having knocked off the table-toppers a week earlier, Spalding were handed a 4-2 home reverse by Bourne Deeping 1st at Glen Park – and slipped into the bottom five as a result.
The tone of the game was heated from the start and, after an early yellow card to Steve Rogers, Spalding had to show grit. Despite that setback, Jacob Baker fired them ahead with a back-post finish from Robert Dalton’s cross.
The visitors soon levelled and then, despite Spalding being back to their full complement of players, went ahead from the first penalty flick of the game.
The teams did go in level at half-time, though, as a well-worked ball found its way to Stuart Cunnington, who scored on his reverse three minutes before the break.
Spalding failed to build on that goal in the second period and fell behind from a short corner, before losing Piers Smith-Hughes to a yellow card for a diving tackle late on.
From the resulting penalty flick, Bourne Deeping completed the scoring and sealed the derby spoils.
Down in Division 2N, Long Sutton 1st go into the winter break in the bottom three after an 8-1 thrashing at table-topping Cambridge South 1st.
Man-of-the-match Will Taylor got the consolation.
In Division 4NW, Long Sutton 2nd will top the table at Christmas after beating Spalding 2nd 3-2 in a cracking derby contest.
Josh Fyson’s double and a further goal from Luke Jackson did the business for Sutton in the top-of-the-table tussle, with Max Bland and Glenn Perkins the Spalding scorers.
Will White was Sutton’s man of the match.
Two points behind Sutton 2nd are Spalding 3rd, who were 3-1 home winners over Bourne Deeping 3rd at Glen Park.
Michael Morris (2) and Ben Scholes inspired that success for Spalding.
Down in Division 5NW, Spalding 4th enjoyed an impressive 4-2 victory at Bourne Deeping 4th.
It was a virtuoso performance from Joe Higgins, who netted all four goals to give his side just a fourth win of the season.
In Division 6NW (N), Long Sutton were handed a 5-1 home reverse by Bourne Deeping 5th despite Charlie Ridington’s goal.
Spalding 5th’s trip to Alford 2nd was postponed.
- Spalding Poachers 1st were unable to end their 2018 fixtures on a positive note in East Women’s Hockey League Division 2NW.
They went into the game at St Ives 1st in high spirits, bidding to build on their win the previous week.
Both teams played strong attacking hockey in the first half, but were unable to capitalise in front of goal.
Indeed, player-of-the-match Donna Chester-O’Neill made multiple saves to keep Spalding in the game in a goalless first period.
After the break, the Poachers came out fighting with some great work in the midfield by Karen Timby, Maddie Haunch and Kelly Slater.
But St Ives also piled on the pressure by winning lots of short corners – and it was from one of these that they scored with just six minutes remaining.
In the same division, Long Sutton ladies’ 1st drew 2-2 with Cambs South 1st at the Peele Leisure Centre and will be in the bottom three over the winter break.
Their goals came from Jo Bland and Sarah Walker.
Down in Division 3NW, Spalding Poachers 2nd suffered a 3-1 home defeat against Ely City 1st. Their goal came from great play down the wing from Grace Hodgett, who linked up with AJ Taplin to score.
In Division 4NW (N), Spalding Poachers 3rd lost 2-1 at Louth 2nd despite Sam Foston’s strike, while Long Sutton 2nd went down 2-1 at Bourne Deeping 2nd with Ali Monaghan netting.
