It was not the start Long Sutton Hockey Club wanted to a new season, with all five of their teams on the losing side.
Long Sutton Men 1st 3
Cambridge City 2nd 5
After a successful pre-season campaign, Sutton were as ready as they could be for their return to Division One North of the East League.
The squad were keen and well settled but faced a tough opener against a team freshly relegated from the Premier Division.
A fast-paced and entertaining game saw the goals flow, with Sutton giving their best in a narrow defeat.
City showed their experience with high ball pace and low touches and bagged the opener after ten minutes.
Sutton’s response was electric, however and they were level when the ball fell to Josh Baker wide outside the circle and he rounded two defenders before smashing the ball home on the forehand.
City struck back with two quickfire goals but there was only one goal in it at the break after Nick Ellis played a ball through for Baker to muscle through and flick home calmly on the backhand.
City re-opened a two-goal lead but, with five minutes to go, the ball fell for Taylor to push home to make it 4-3.
However, despite resolute defending, Sutton conceded again in the closing stages.
Goalkeeper James Cliff was man of the match.
Cambridge City 4th 3
Long Sutton Men 2nd 2
A solid and gritty defensive performance just failed to earn Sutton reward in their first Division 3NW match of the season.
They repelled wave after wave of well-worked, speedy offence but were eventually beaten from two penalty corners.
Slowly Sutton began to find their way into the game and some amazing individual displays saw them pull things level with a tidy finish from Alex Canham and a well-worked penalty corner goal from Luke Jackson.
With two minutes left, Sutton were flagging and suffering in the heat and they conceded a third goal from a penalty flick, despite a valiant attempt to keep it out by goalkeeper Dan Plant.
Long Sutton Men 3rd 4
Newmarket 3rd 6
Man of the match James Collingwood scored twice and Andrew Shore and Adam Pack got a goal each in Sutton’s Division 5NW ten-goal thriller.
Bourne Deeping 2
Long Sutton Ladies 1s 1
Sutton were forced to defend in depth against a young Bourne Deeping side but were undone just before half-time from a high ball into the D.
Hannah Baker was unlucky not to restore parity after a super solo run but the ball ran off the back line before she could apply a finish.
Bourne again had the majority of the possession in the second half and doubled their lead after a half clearance by Lorraine Wallis fell to a forward rather than a defender.
Sutton continued to battle hard and they set up a tense finish after a super move involving Florence Perowne and Milly Hastings saw the ball fall for Baker to make no mistake for a late consolation.
Amber Jones was named player of the match.
Long Sutton Ladies 2nd 0
Pelicans 3rd 5
Lexi Clarke and Wendy Canham returned to the Sutton team after injury, joining Jayme Hunt, while a last-minute change of goalkeeper saw Chantil Sinclair dust off her kit after Ellie Sandall was taken ill.
Pelicans pushed hard from the off and soon took the lead but had to wait until just before the interval to make it 2-0.
Sinclair and her defence of Julie Warby, Sarah Skate, Hunt, Holly Murdoch and player of the match Clarke worked well together but a glut of short corners saw Pelicans get through to score another three goals.
