Hutchinson is top Marksman as hat-trick hero inspires Newbury and Thatcham second team to 6-0 win
Both Newbury and Thatcham Hockey Club’s men’s and women’s first teams suffered disappointing defeats at the weekend but there were a number of better results, including big wins for the men’s second and women’s fourth teams.
The men's first team suffered a third defeat in five, losing 1-0 in a hard-fought contest with Reading 3rd that leaves them eighth in the South Central Men's Division 1 North table.
The men have three matches left to play, the first of which is their final home game of the season against Phoenix Reading on Saturday.
There was more bad news for the women's first team, who slipped to the bottom of the South Central Women's Division 1 North table following a bruising 5-0 defeat to Leighton Buzzard.
The ladies have plummeted to the foot of the table after failing to win in their last nine and are without a goal in three.
Two crucial matches remain this season, a home game against Buckingham 2nd on Saturday before a trip to relegation rivals Phoenix Reading on the final day of the campaign.
Meanwhile, Mark Hutchinson scored a hat-trick as the men's second team were sensational 6-0 winners over Eastcote 2nd.
Cameron Dunlop, Jamie Bairstow and Joe Ruggiero completed the rout for the second team, who are unbeaten in three in the South Central Men's Division 2 North ahead of their penultimate game of the season, a trip to third placed Windsor.
The remaining men's teams were all unbeaten, with Albie Kelly on target for the third team in a 1-1 draw with Sonning 3rd and the fifth team concluding their campaign after a goalless draw with Wallingford 4th.
The men's fourth team made it four wins in their last six, beating Maidenhead 3rd 2-1 thanks to goals from Aleksey Storchak and Tom Hope, moving them up to fourth in the South Central Men's Division 1 Thames table.
The men's masters are also in fine form and won for the fifth time in six, thrashing Winchester Wizards 5-0 in a friendly.
The prolific masters have scored 27 times in that period and have two more friendlies scheduled before the summer break.
Elsewhere, there was disappointment for the women's second team, who lost an entertaining game 3-2 to Wycombe 3rd.
After winning eight of their first 11 matches, the ladies have managed just one win in their last 10 and have played themselves out of contention in the South Central Women's Division 1 Thames title race.
There was better news for the women's third team, who made it five wins in six, beating Phoenix Reading 3rd 2-0.
Robyn Matthews bagged a brace as the ladies returned home triumphant, another win leaving them fourth in the South Central Women's Division 2 Thames table.
The women's fourth team haven't lost since October and hit six past Marlow 7th with Yasmin Mateus scoring a hat-trick and a goal apiece from Katharine Cain, Mikayla Klein and Nicole Allen firing them to a 6-0 win.
With two matches still to play, the ladies are second in the South Central Women's Division 3 Thames table but are in pole position in the title race, two points behind leaders Windsor 3rd but with a game in hand.
