Hannam brace fires ladies to battling victory as Newbury & Thatcham move off the foot of the table in bid to beat drop
Newbury and Thatcham Hockey Club enjoyed another excellent weekend, with big wins for the women’s firsts and men’s thirds.
The ladies ended a run of eight straight defeats with a hard-fought 2-1 triumph over Amersham & Chalfont II that moves them off the foot of the South Central Women’s Division 1 North table.
Ellie Hannam scored a brace, including the winner five minutes from time, as the hosts came from behind to record just their second win in 17 league matches this season.
The women’s first team have five more league matches left to beat the drop, including a potentially decisive match with bottom side Slough II on the penultimate weekend; the two teams are level on seven points, although Slough have a game in hand.
The ladies, who still have to play four of the bottom six, travel to eighth-placed Thame on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the men’s third team edged another step closer to promotion from the South Central Men’s Division 4 North following an 8-1 demolition of Banbury III.
Francois Killian struck a hat-trick, Ben Cook scored his 16th and 17th goals of the season, Henry Durie fired a brace and Dominic Tough completed the rout.
The thirds, who have won 14 of their 17 league games, scoring a staggering 76 goals in the process, are six points clear at the top of the table but second-placed Oxford III have two games in hand.
The third team still have to play three of the current top six in their final five games, beginning with a trip to Sonning III this weekend.
Elsewhere, Mark Ferguson’s first goal of the season secured the men’s firsts a point in a 1-1 draw with Oxford II while Cameron Dunlop’s strike ensured the seconds made it five games unbeaten after a 1-1 draw with South Berkshire II.
Goals from Hannah Jones, Katy Hall and Rosie Tregear helped the women’s seconds return to winning ways after a much-needed 3-2 victory over Wycombe III that maintains their two-point cushion at the top of the South Central Women’s Division 1 Thames table.
A brace from Katharine Cain that took her tally to 12 goals for the campaign as well as Elin Bartonwood’s seventh of the season fired the women’s thirds to a commanding 3-0 win over Wallingford IV that preserves their unbeaten record and keeps them 11 points clear at the top of the South Central Women’s Division 2 Thames table.
Chris Obin’s 13th goal in 14 games and a cool finish from Liam Kilsby-Steele helped the men’s fourths secure a 2-0 win over South Berkshire V that leaves them just one point behind South Central Men’s Division 1 leaders Marlow.
Jasmine Kithakye and Nicky Hanson were on the scoresheet as the women’s fifths won for the first time since before Christmas, beating Slough IV 2-1, but there were defeats for the men’s fifths and sixths as well as the women’s fourth team.