Spalding Poachers 1st cemented their place at the top of East Women’s Hockey League Division Two North West with another stunning showing on Saturday.
They chalked up their biggest win of the season so far with an emphatic 13-0 victory over hosts St Ives 2nd – making it eight wins from eight to move five points clear at the top.
Harriet Mowbray starred with four of the goals, while Charlotte Maplethorpe notched a hat-trick and Hermione Wright (2), Maddie Haunch (2), Hennie Boekestyn and Ellie Holland also found the net.
Spalding started strongly with a clean pass from Jess Ball finding its way to Maplethorpe, who rolled it past the keeper for her first goal.
Spalding’s second came from Haunch running along the baseline and slotting the ball for Mowbray to net at the back post.
The Poachers then won a short corner which was scored by Wright, who reverse flicked it past the keeper. Afterwards, Haunch received a rebound off the post which she neatly slotted against the opposition’s backboard.
Mowbray then drove down the wing and slapped the ball across the D into the back corner for 5-0 at half time.
Great passing in the middle by Georgina Maplethorpe and Megan Moore then worked the ball up to the D, where Mowbray spun it around the keeper to complete her hat-trick.
Not done there, Boekestyn ran along the baseline and passed to Charlotte Maplethorpe for her second of the day.
Boekestyn herself was next on the scoresheet as, after receiving the ball in the D from Georgina Maplethorpe, she finished with a great strike.
Angel Harkus then teed up Wright for her second, before Haunch made it 10-0 with a fine run and strike.
Mowbray notched again soon after, following up to net a rebound after Charlotte Maplethorpe’s strike on target.
Number 12 was slotted into the net by Holland, before Charlotte Maplethorpe brilliantly used her skill to get past past two of the defenders and round off both her hat-trick and the scoring.
In the same division, Long Sutton ladies’ 1st lost 2-0 at Cambridge University 3rd and find themselves in the bottom three.
Down in Division Three North West, Spalding Poachers 2nd are third after a 2-0 derby victory over Bourne Deeping 2nd.
Karen Timby was unlucky to have a goal disallowed – yet her speed and skill still ensured she put the opposition under pressure in the midfield alongside Roz Dennis and Zoe Moore.
Spalding did go ahead when Amy Naylor found the net after being assisted by Moore, closely followed by Lauren Spenceley taking the score to 2-0.
In the same division, Spalding Poachers 3rd suffered a 2-1 defeat at Shefford and Sandy 2nd.
A superb strike at the top of the D from player of the match Alison Willson ensured it was 1-1 at half time, but Spalding shipped the decisive winner after the break.
Long Sutton 2nd, meanwhile, lost 1-0 at home to St Neots 4th in Division Five North West.
Saturday fixtures: Long Sutton 1st v Cambs City 4th (2.30pm); Spalding 1st v Cambs Uni 3rd (12.30pm); Spalding 3rd v Huntingdon 1st (11am); Kettering 2nd v Spalding 2nd (11.30am); March 1st v Long Sutton 2nd (11.30am).
