League leaders prove just too good for Newbury and Thatcham

Just three Newbury and Thatcham Hockey Club matches survived the weather this week – although the trio of West Berkshire teams that braved the freezing temperatures were perhaps wishing they'd stayed indoors, losing with an aggregate score of 8-0.

The men's first team's unbeaten start to the new year came to an end following a 2-0 defeat at home to South Central Men's Division One North leaders Oxford Hawks.

Captain Lawrence McCabe felt his side deserved a point from the game, which was decided by a questionable umpiring decision.

"I think a draw probably would've been a fair result," he said.

"I don't think we quite did ourselves justice in the first half but we played some of our best hockey all season after the break, we'll bounce back."

The men's second team suffered a fourth successive defeat, losing 4-0 to South Central Men's Division Two North front runners Abingdon.

Newbury drop to fourth bottom in the league and have the league's joint-second leakiest defence, having conceded 32 goals in 11 games.

The women's first team lost for the first time in three games, going down 2-0 against Reading 3rd, another side on top of their league.

Defeat leaves the ladies in eighth in the South Central Women's Division One North table ahead of the visit of bottom side Aylesbury at the weekend.