Ladies’ hockey round-up: Five-star showing makes it ten wins on the spin for purring Poachers

It’s now ten wins from as many East Women’s Hockey League Division Two North West games for red-hot Spalding Poachers 1st after another dominant display on Saturday.

Maddie Haunch (2), Ellie Holland (2) and Georgina Maplethorpe found the net as the Poachers brushed aside hosts Cambridge City 4th 5-2 to move seven points clear at the top.

Spalding started well and put pressure on the Cambridge defence before Haunch put them into the lead by slotting past the keeper.

Maintaining their strong attack, Holland then received the ball out wide, running into the D and scored with a great hit into the far corner.

Just before the break, Poachers won a short corner and Evie Maltby – on the left of the D – played a great ball towards the goal for Maplethorpe to deflect into the top of the net for 3-0.

Cambridge pulled one back early in the second period after a defensive mistake, but the three-goal cushion was soon restored when Holland netted her second of the afternoon.

Another mistake allowed Cambridge to score again, but Spalding were to have the last word when Maltby found Haunch, who took the ball around a defender and fired it past the keeper to make it 5-2 before the final whistle.

In the same division, it was a very tough day for Long Sutton ladies’ 1st.

They travelled to Bourne Deeping 1st with only eight players and, despite a valiant effort, were handed a 7-0 beating.

The loss leaves Sutton’s leading ladies in the bottom three of the standings.

Down in Division Three North West, Spalding Poachers 2nd battled to a 1-1 draw against visitors Cambridge South 3rd at their stormy Surfleet home.

After a goalless first period at Glen Park, Cambs scored early in the second half. But Spalding kept attacking and were eventually awarded with a Roz Dennis goal from the top of the D just five minutes before the close.

Spalding Poachers 3rd, meanwhile, handed hosts Cambridge City 5th a 5-0 walkover win. They remain winless and in the bottom two.

Elsewhere, Long Sutton ladies’ 2nd suffered a narrow 1-0 home loss against Cambs South 5th in Division Five North West.

Saturday fixtures: Long Sutton 1st v Kettering 1st (1pm); Spalding 1st v Bourne Deeping 1st (2pm); Huntingdon 1st v Spalding 2nd (10.30am); Spalding 3rd v City of Peterborough 4th (11am); Ely City 3rd v Long Sutton 2nd (10.30am).