Ladies’ hockey round-up: Nice and three-sy for Long Sutton 1st, disappointing defeat for Poachers

Long Sutton ladies’ 1st stormed to an impressive 3-0 victory at Cambridge University 3rd in East Women’s Hockey League Division 2NW on Saturday.

In-form Sutton started with a high press against a young team who made up any loss in experience with boundless energy.

A starting midfield quartet of Jo Bland, Gemma Parr, Emmy Gittins and Jemima Dodd created a wall which was to remain intact all day.

Connie Gittins and Amber Jones cut off the transfers and ran intelligent lines from the first minute to the last which meant that Cambridge found it almost impossible to break out of their own half.

The first goal took 15 minutes and was created by Maisie Sullivan intercepting a long ball just inside the home half.

She moved forward before threading a ball through to Jones who drove into the D before unleashing a shot from the right hand side top of the D which rose sharply before taking a deflection off the last defender and evaded the outstretched keeper’s glove.

This settled the Sutton side even more and the half was played out to the tune set by the experience of Bland and Parr.

With time running out in the first half a quick free hit on the top of the D found Jones, who deftly passed to Connie Gittins.

In a packed D, she rounded the keeper before Katie Collingwood-Smith took the ball and saw her push shot hit a foot on the line, allowing Connie Gittins to follow up and force it home to make the score 2-0 at half time.

That’s how it stayed until the closing stages, when Bland superbly dispatched a short corner.

In the same division, Spalding Poachers 1st suffered a shock 2-1 defeat at bottom-of-the-table Cambridge City 4th.

Hennie Boekestyn fired Spalding ahead after just 20 seconds with a great finish from a tight angle.

But two defensive errors gifted the win to the hosts.

In Division 3NW, Spalding Poachers 2nd drew 2-2 with high-flying St Neots 2nd at Glen Park.

Sophie Smith and Grace Hodgett got their goals.

Down in Division 4NW (N), Spalding Poachers 3rd were happy to come away from Bourne Deeping 3rd with a share of the spoils after a 0-0 draw.

Long Sutton 2nd, meanwhile, lost 8-1 at Wisbech 2nd with Hannah Baker their scorer.