NE14 Hockey East Men s League Division 2N St Ives 1 Norwich City II 2 ST IVES captain Andy Land labelled his side complacent after they threw away the chance to remain unbeaten through a full season. Saints had won 15 consecutive games before the weeke

NE14 Hockey East Men's League Division 2N

St Ives 1 Norwich City II 2

ST IVES captain Andy Land labelled his side 'complacent' after they threw away the chance to remain unbeaten through a full season.

Saints had won 15 consecutive games before the weekend's defeat to race clear at the top of the league.

"A little bit of complacency has crept in over recent weeks and I hope this will be the catalyst for us to go on and win our remaining games," said Land.

"We only need to take three wins from the five matches but we are even more determined to win the league in style. It was the quietest dressing room I have been in for ages and I don't expect to see it that way again."

St Ives took on the Norwich team whom they had struggled to beat away from home earlier in the season and played well below their best.

Norwich engineered the first chances before Saints applied some prolonged pressure. They were uncharacteristically wasteful with their penalty corners although Joe Brennan did give his side the lead with a breakaway goal after good work in midfield.

Despite good possession there were few further chances for St Ives before half-time.

The defensive Norwich set-up continued to frustrate the home side after the break and it was the visitors who took the initiative after a penalty corner move broke down to recycle the ball for a tap-in equaliser.

As St Ives piled forward in search of the decider, Norwich broke down the middle of the pitch to snatch what proved to be the winning goal.

Saints had chances to rectify the situation but seemed to be out-of-sorts as they missed chances to square the game.

St Ives next travel to Bedford and will be determined to put in a ruthless performance.

St Ives II left it until the last strike of the game to beat bottom of the table Exiles 1-0 through Stuart Perry, while Saints III lost 5-1 to Peterborough V despite James Cahill's goal. St Ives IV lost 4-0 to Horncastle, while Saints V lost 2-1 to Boston III.

n St Ives Ladies' slumped out of the Ladies National Trophy after losing 3-1 to Tulse Hill and Dulwich in the capital.

Saints were outstanding in the first half as they took the game to their opponents and were finally rewarded with a good goal from Helen Clarke.

The game turned in the second half with Dulwich dominating the St Ives defensive areas.

However, with the ball being moved more confidently around the back, St Ives continued to reply and test the opposition.

It took two excellent penalty corner strikes to see Tulse Hill and Dulwich take the lead, but they failed to stop St Ives attacking.

As fatigue and injury started to affect the visitors a third goal from open play sealed the victory for the home team and ended St Ives' best-ever run in the competition.

On Saturday, St Ives secured a draw at high-riding Colchester, while Saints II lost 3-1 to Sawtry despite Anne Selfe's goal and St Ives III won 4-1 at Cambridge City IV.