The present was tinged with disappointment for St Neots Hockey Club but the future continues to look very bright indeed.
Ben Knights shed his usual goalkeeper’s pads to line-up alongside dad Will as the third team lost 3-1 to Cambridge Nomads, the 15-year-old scoring his side’s only goal.
Three 13-year-olds shone for the ladies’ fifth team as they won 2-0 at West Herts.
Ruby Lane and Aoife Stokes got the two goals while Ruby Lorigan lifted the player of the match award.
Another 13-year-old, Harry Pybus, made his debut and grabbed an assist on skipper Mike Hornby’s goal. However, it proved to be an otherwise disappointing afternoon for the second team as they lost 8-1 to Ely City.
The two first teams at the club had bad days as well, the men losing 4-0 to Cambridge South while the ladies were beaten 3-0 at UEA.
A spirited and entertaining contest for the ladies’ seconds against City of Peterborough ended 0-0 while the fourths went down 2-1 to Wisbech Town, Callie Wicks on target for them.
There were two games between St Neots and St Ives and they brought wins for the latter.
It was 1-0 in the battle of the ladies’ third teams, St Neots’ Amy Harley keeping a clean sheet until four minutes from time when Kay Serofia scored, but for more comfortable for the men’s fourths as two goals from Richard Corbett and one each for Barry Wickson and Simon Dew handed St Ives a 4-0 success.
The men’s first team had the best result of the day, beating Long Sutton 7-2 to move third in East Hockey League Division Three North West, level on points with the two teams above them.
James Harris led the way with a hat-trick while there were two from David Halegrave and one each for Alex Prestage and Mike Jenner.
The other win in the men’s section came from the third team as they beat Cambridge South 2-1, Ben Thatcher and Rob Brand on target.
Across in the ladies’ section the first team lost 3-2 to Long Sutton. Tara McCarter and Abby Scarrow had dragged them back to 2-2 after conceding two early goals but it was the visitors who found the winner.
Hannah Pegram was the player of the match there while Chloe Fagen Webb picked up the prize for the seconds as they lost at Cambridge South.
The fourth team completed the day with a 2-2 draw against Ely City, Victoria Earl and Ellie Gray the scorers.
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