HOCKEY ROUND-UP St Neots Ladies III 12 Stevenage IV 0 ST NEOTS took to their newly laid Astroturf pitch like ducks to water with some ruthless finishing against a Stevenage side that could do nothing to stop the rout. It took only minutes for Charlie Gill

HOCKEY ROUND-UP

St Neots Ladies III 12 Stevenage IV 0

ST NEOTS took to their newly laid Astroturf pitch like ducks to water with some ruthless finishing against a Stevenage side that could do nothing to stop the rout.

It took only minutes for Charlie Gillam to start the goals avalanche when she was on hand to net from close range.

With the visitors net bulging at every opportunity, Gillam bagged her hat-trick, Juliana Dickinson popped up to score twice and Ali McMurray was in a hurry to add her goal and all this before the break.

It was much of the same after the interval with Saints were in no mood to let up as they pushed forward relentlessly to add to the tally.

Vicky Wilkinson followed up last week's outstanding performance with another skilful and intelligent game capping a fine performance with a well-taken goal from the edge of the circle.

Dickinson added a further four - giving her a double hat-trick - and Laura Beadles added her name to the score sheet when she put away a short corner with precision

Elsewhere, St Ives Men III went down to a heavy 5-0 defeat at Stevenage II in their opening pre-season friendly.

Ives' defence, containing four teenagers, held Stevenage to a one-goal half-time lead by way of a cruel deflection but it was in the final quarter that the hosts ran away with the match.

St Ives Ladies II earned a 2-1 cup victory at Cambridge City IV after pressuring their hosts from the start with good play from Katy Burgin, Pauline Hammond and Evie Flack.

St Ives' first goal came in the first half, with well-worked passes between Val Crack, Tracey Bryden and Hammond allowing Nikki Perry to score on the right post.

The defence of Liz Philpott, Crack, Tara McCarter, Gemma Pope and goalkeeper Sue Rhodes worked tirelessly to stop the Cambridge attacks and a breakaway second goal materialised as the midfield set up Abby Holland, whose shot on goal was not cleared allowing Hammond to slotted home.

The home team managed a consolation goal but nothing more and St Ives awarded their player of the match gong to Aleisha Moore for her performance in a variety of positions.