Butler serves up Yateley victory as Kirstin helps thirds maintain 100 per cent start

Newbury and Thatcham Hockey Club’s men’s and women’s teams endured testing weeks, although the women’s third team managed to maintain their 100 per cent start to the new season with a 2-0 victory over Yateley 2nd.

Goals from Becci Morley and Kirstin Butler fired Newbury and Thatcham to a fifth successive South Central Women’s Division 2 Thames win that leaves them three points clear at the top of the table.

The women’s first team are experiencing entirely different fortunes and suffered a fourth South Central Women’s Division 1 North defeat in five, losing 4-2 to fellow strugglers Oxford University 2nd.

Ellie Sweeney and Gemma Goss were on target for the home side but Newbury and Thatcham were taught a lesson by the university side, who won for the first time this season.

The men’s first team have enjoyed a much more positive start to their South Central Men’s Division 1 North campaign but slipped to a second defeat of the season, losing 2-0 to league leaders Sonning.

Elsewhere, Matt Martin’s goal wasn’t enough to prevent the men’s second team from falling to a 3-1 defeat at home to Sonning 2nd, while the women’s seconds lost for the first time in four when they went down 2-0 to in-form Reading 6th.

Meanwhile, the men’s third team were another of the three Newbury and Thatcham sides to win this weekend. Ben Cook and Rogan Lang inspired the thirds to a hard-fought 2-1 cup win over Royal Wootton Bassett 2nd.

Second half goals from Mark Inskip and Matthew Bird helped the men’s fourth team to a 2-0 victory over Phoenix Reading 2nd, their fifth win in six.

That result moves the fourths two points clear of Marlow at the top of the South Central Men’s Division 1 Thames table.