Unstoppable Obin is four-some as Chris fires fourth team to big win in great weekend for Newbury and Thatcham

Newbury and Thatcham Hockey Club’s excellent start to the new season continued at the weekend.

There were wins for seven of the sides, with the men’s fourth team enjoying one of the standout results, hitting Amersham and Chalftont 5th for six.

Five of their goals came in the second half, with the sides level at 1-1 at the break after Chris Obin’s opener was cancelled out.

However, the hosts ran away with the game after the restart as Obin struck another three times and goals from Paul Fowler and Willoughby Jordan helped Newbury and Thatcham to a comprehensive win.

That leaves the team, who are unbeaten in their last five, top of the South Central Men’s Division 1 Thames table, ahead of Marlow 5th on goal difference.

The men’s first team bounced back from a maiden South Central Men’s Division 1 North defeat of the season last week with an emphatic 5-2 victory over Yateley.

Luke Barrington bagged a brace, while goals from Charles Edmonson, Chris Randall and Doug Clayton fired the visitors to an impressive win that moves them up to fourth in the table.

Two goals from Matt Martin made the difference as the second team beat Oxford University 2-0, while there were also wins for the masters and the sixth XI.

Meanwhile, the women’s first team’s miserable start to the new South Central Women’s Division 1 North season continued with a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Leighton Buzzard.

Ellie Sweeney and Rachel Mulvany were on target but the visitors, who have one point from their first four league games, slipped to defeat.

There was better news for the second and third teams, who scored nine goals between them as both recorded wins.

Katy Hall, Mary Cavanagh and Tegan Murray fired the second team, who are unbeaten in three, to a 3-1 triumph over Amersham and Chalftont 5th, while Elin Bartonwood hit a hat-trick as the unbeaten third XI hammered Maidenhead 4th 6-0.