The two leading teams in the area look set to become involved in a battle for East Men’s League promotion.
St Neots 1sts and St Ives 1sts have made fine starts to the new season to rise into the upper reaches of Division Three North-West.
A brace of Anthony Holmes goals helped second-placed St Neots to a fourth win of the campaign as they beat Wisbech 2nds last Saturday. Jamie Cluer and Garth Mooney also struck in a 4-1 triumph.
St Ives 1sts are only a couple of points and places behind their local rivals as they bounce back from relegation last term.
They breezed to a 4-0 win against Leadenham 1sts last Saturday courtesy of goals from Michael Jenner, Cameron Seton, Peter Liddle and David McCarter.
Elsewhere, captain Tim Jones led by example with a hat-trick as St Ives 2nds thumped Alford & District 1sts 6-3 in Division Four North-West, while St Neots 4ths claimed in-house bragging rights after beating the club’s 5th team 2-1 in a Division Six North-West (South) clash.
The two St Neots sides in the Five Counties Women’s League both enjoyed victories lit up by hat-tricks.
Emma Rowe hit a treble as the 2nds beat Royston 3rds 3-0 to climb into second spot in Division Three while Freya Drew enjoyed a dream debut as the 4ths continued their memorable debut season. The table-toppers triumphed 4-0 at Bedford 6ths in Division Five thanks to a Drew hat-trick and a Charlie Churms strike.
The 2nds were also in winning form in Division Four North-West (South) of the East Women’s League. Chris Deeks, Claire Piper and Jay Dickinson struck in a 3-0 success against Cambridge South 3rds, but the 1sts saw a three-match hot streak come to an end in Division Two North-West when going down 2-1 to a speedy City of Peterborough 2nds side.
St Ives also boast an in-form female side. Their 3rds roared to a fourth successive win in Division Four North-West (South) of the East Women’s League
Emma Rushmer hit a hat-trick and Shona Drummond also struck in a 4-0 rout of Newmarket 3rds.
OCTOBER 15 RESULTS . . .
EAST MEN’S LEAGUE
Division Three North-West: St Ives 1sts 4 (Jenner, Seton, Liddle, McCarter), Leadenham 1sts 0; St Neots 1sts 4 (Holmes 2, Cluer, Mooney), Wisbech 2nds 1.
Division Four North-West: Alford & District 1sts 3, St Ives 2nds 6 (T. Jones 3, D. Jones 2, England); City of Peterborough 5ths 4, St Neots 2nds 1.
Division Five North-West: St Ives 3rds 1, Kettering 2nds 5; St Neots 3rds 5, Horncastle 2nds 0 – walkover.
Division Six North-West (South): Kettering 3rds 1, St Ives 5ths 1 (Corbett); St Ives 4ths 5, Saffron Walden 8ths 0 – walkover; St Neots 4ths 2, St Neots 5ths 1.
EAST WOMEN’S LEAGUE
Division One North: Cambridge City 2nds 3, St Ives 1sts 2 (Griffiths, Clarke).
Division Two North-West: City of Peterborough 2nds 2, St Neots 1sts 1 (Bingham).
Division Three North-West: St Ives 2nds 1 (Stride), Cambridge South 1sts 1.
Division Four North-West (South): Cambridge South 3rds 0, St Neots 3rds 3 (Deeks, Piper, Dickinson); Newmarket 3rds 0, St Ives 3rds 4 (Rushmer 3, Drummond).
FIVE COUNTIES WOMEN’S LEAGUE
Division Three: St Neots 2nds 3 (Rowe 3), Royston 3rds 0.
Division Five: Bedford 6ths 0, St Neots 4ths 4 (Drew 3, Churms).
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