Hockey Round Up East Men s League Division 1 St Ives 3 Letchworth 3 ST IVES hosted league leaders Letchworth who had won their first six games playing a brand of fast skilful hockey. Ives matched the visitors in the early stages and were unlucky to go

Hockey Round Up

East Men's League Division 1

St Ives 3 Letchworth 3

ST IVES hosted league leaders Letchworth who had won their first six games playing a brand of fast skilful hockey.

Ives matched the visitors in the early stages and were unlucky to go a goal behind when the visitors netted following a short corner.

The home side increased the pace of the passing and started to have success down the wings forcing Letchworth on to the back foot. The pressure couldn't find a goal and the visitors hit back with two short corners. The second one was flicked low into the net. St Ives looked dangerous on the counter and good work from the midfield line and forwards ensured that St Ives were able to counter strike back with two goals from short corners of their own. Paul Swannell flicked into the roof of the net and followed it with another that looped over the keeper.

The second half proved to be a very close affair. Letchworth were reduced to 10 men as St Ives pressed but broke away to take the lead after a fortunate deflection took the ball past the wrong footed keeper. Ives bounced back and Paul Swannell was on hand to dispatch a rocket through the keeper to bring the scores back level. Letchworth hit the post and St Ives had chances to win it but in the end both teams settled for the draw.

Goals from James Aubrey, Kevin Gilder, Will Webster and a brace from Alfie Brennan gave St Ives seconds a 5-0 win at Peterborough but the thirds took a 4-0 beating from Market Deeping. Richard Corbett nicked the only goal that saw the fifths win against Rutland.

Lou Smith smashed home a great goal to give St Ives Ladies a share of the spoils against Saffron Walden on Saturday and on Sunday they travelled to Norwich in the National Trophy winning handsomely thanks to a strike by Captain Vicky Leighton.

The seconds fell to a 3-1 defeat at Ely and the thirds took a point at Peterborough in a 1-1 draw.

Huntingdon Ladies went down fighting as they lost by the odd goal in five against Cambridge University thirds. Hunters found themselves two down inside 10 minutes but hit back with a goal from Alice Edwards before the break. It was more home pressure that brought an equaliser in the second period as Joan Griffith netted. Pushing for a win, the hosts were hit by the university side who broke away to score near the end.

St Neots Ladies thirds turned on the style against Luton smashing in eight goals. Charlie Gillam and Juliana Dickinson took doubles and singles were the order of the day for Chris Deeks, Ali McMurray, Corinne Henson and Danielle Shipley.

Caption: EVEN STEVENS: St Ives Mens Hockey team (blue) fought out a creditable 3-3 draw against league leaders Letchworth after going two down early on in the match.