Double delight for Newbury and Thatcham first teams but women's fifths lose relegation grudge match
Newbury and Thatcham Hockey Club’s men’s and women’s first teams both won at the weekend while the men’s third team put seven past Banbury but there was defeat for the women’s fifth team in their relegation grudge match.
Hallam Kelly scored his 11th of the season and James Higgins was also on target as the men's first team beat Phoenix Reading 2-1 to make it three wins in their last five.
Their South Central Men's Division 1 campaign concludes this weekend with a trip to Oxford 2nd, with both sides level on points and a seventh placed finish up for grabs.
The women's first team won for the first time in 10 as Gillian Kearins struck in a crucial 1-0 win at home to Buckingham 2nd.
The crucial three points moves them off the bottom of the South Central Women's Division 1 North table ahead of the final weekend of the season when the ladies travel to Phoenix Reading.
The two teams have 19 points each and occupy the bottom two places in the league, meaning Newbury and Thatcham have to avoid defeat on Saturday to beat the drop.
The men's third team have enjoyed a stellar season and are in pole position to finish third in the South Central Men's Division 4 North table after thrashing Banbury 3rd 7-0.
The prolific Francois Killian bagged a brace and John Pentecost also scored twice while Henry Durie's strike took him to double figures for the campaign and goals from Jack Kingston and Sebastian Chapman completed the rout.
There was bitter disappointment for the women's fifth team, who lost a potential relegation decider against Wycombe 5th 2-1.
Amelie Ross scored her side's first goal in eight games but the ladies drop to the bottom of the South Central Women's Division 3 Thames table as Wycombe leapfrog them with both sides having one final match this weekend.