A five-star showing from Spalding Hockey Club’s leading ladies clinched promotion from East Women’s League Division 2NW on Saturday.
The table-topping Poachers won 5-1 at St Neots 1st to achieve their main aim for the season – and now face a shoot-out with City of Peterborough 1st to see who will go up as champions.
Two ferocious penalty corners from Karen Timby put Spalding 2-0 ahead early on, before Katie Gray made it three. A penalty corner from the Saints did make it 3-1 at the interval, but Jacqui Hunter finished from close range to put Spalding further ahead.
Kelly Slater completed the scoring with a well-worked penalty corner as Spalding toasted their 17th win from 18 league matches.
In the same division, Long Sutton ladies’ 1st romped to a 3-0 victory over Cambridge Nomads 1st thanks to a terrific treble from Robyn Gribble.
The win, described as Sutton’s “finest all-round performance of the season” by skipper Charlie Leuty, keeping Sutton third.
Down a division in 3NW (N), Spalding Poachers 2nd picked up a fine 4-0 win over Woodhall Spa 1st on Sturday to stay second. Helen Jex, Akayla Newton, Alanna Bunyan and Eva Keyes got the goals. They did slip to a 2-1 loss against Louth 2nd on Sunday, with Keyes again on target, but are seven points clear of third-placed Leadenham.
Spalding Poachers 3rd, meanwhile, crushed Alford 2nd 6-0 thanks to goals from Rachel Perkins (2), Ellie Pybus (2), Evie Maltby and Lucy Simpson.
It wasn’t such a great day for Long Sutton ladies’ 2nd, however, as they went down 5-1 to Lincoln ladies’ 3rd. Amber Wild was their scorer.
- Spalding Hockey Club 1st are just one point away from securing their first-ever promotion to East Men’s League Premier B division.
A thrilling 5-4 win at Brentwood put them on the brink on Saturday. Stuart Cunnington’s double put them 2-0 up, but three strikes from the hosts saw them trailing 3-2 at half time.
Following a constructive half-time chat, Connor Allen’s strike and another goal from Cunnington put them 4-3 ahead, before Allen’s second sealed the success.
Promotion could have then been clinched on Sunday, but they slipped to a rare 2-1 home loss against struggling St Ives.
Cunnington fired home a late strike, but Spalding do still have a point lead at the top and three games left to win the title.
Long Sutton 1st, meanwhile, are worried about heading the opposite way after falling into Premier B’s bottom two.
They were soundly beaten 4-0 by leaders Havering and are now level on points with relegation rivals Cambs Uni 2nd, who are just above them on goal difference.
In Division 3NW, Long Sutton 2nd fared much better as they romped to a 10-3 victory over Louth to move out of the bottom two.
Four goals from Ben Shore, plus further strikes from Alex Canham (2), Stefan Fox, Adam Wiles, Charles Hardy and Ed White ensured Sutton delivered the performance they’ve been promising all season.
In the same division, Spalding 2nd are now in the bottom two after only managing a 2-2 draw with already relegated Ely 2nd.
They fell 2-0 behind early on, but Darren Grooby and Martin Perkins hit back to clinch what could prove to be a vital point.
Spalding 3rd battled out a thrilling 3-3 draw with promotion rivals Wisbech 3rd in Division 4NW, with a couple of strikes from Tom Shinkins and a goal from Sam Sly were enough to share the spoils.
Down in Division 5NW, Spalding 4th were beaten 6-1 by leaders Horncastle. Harry Higgins got their consolation.
Long Sutton 3rd did pick up a 3-2 triumph over Cambs City 5th in the same division, thanks to a double from Gary Hales, and a poachers’ effort by Jack Smith.
It was a blank day for Spalding 5th and Long Sutton 4th in Division 6NW (N), as both suffered losses.
Spalding were seen off 4-2 at Louth 2nd, despite two goals from Adrian Bettinson.
Long Sutton 4th can be happy with their efforts in pushing leaders Bourne/Deeping 5th all the way. They eventually lost 2-1, with Luke Proctor the scorer.
