Wisbech Town Hockey Club men's 1st XI beat Cambridge City 3rds while 2nd XI win derby against Long Sutton counterparts

Wisbech Town Hockey Club Men’s 1st XI picked up a valuable three points against Cambridge City 3rd XI at Harecroft Road on Saturday.

Spurred on by captain Charlie Baxter’s pre-game talk, Wisbech made a quick start to the game and took a deserved lead through Jack Bass.

The visitors struck back shortly after, but a swift counter attack saw Ben Tarratt setup Josh Porter for Wisbech’s second goal of the game.

It appeared that Wisbech had added a third before the break, with Danny Haynes deflecting Baxter’s driven pass into the net, only for the umpire to rule the goal out.

An even second half saw both sides create chances, with Cambridge seeing a penalty corner cleared off the line shortly before equalising.

The visitors’ goal sparked Wisbech back into life, with the Fenland side securing the winning goal five minutes from the end thanks to a close range finish from Sam Markillie. Wisbech are up to eighth place in East Hockey Division 1 North.

“It was a really positive performance, with everyone understanding their roles and carrying them out beautifully,” Baxter said after the game.

“It is now time to build on the momentum from this win, and go on a little run.”

A hat-trick from Jason Mallett helped the Men’s 2nd XI secure a derby victory against Long Sutton 2nd XI, leapfrogging their near rivals in the Division 3 North West table in the process.

Long Sutton struck first with a deflected goal, but Wisbech soon began to find their rhythm.

Tom Peggs soon got them back on level terms, before scoring his second of the game shortly after. Mallett then bagged his first of the day to put Wisbech 3-1 up at half time.

Mallett picked up his second and third goals of the game to round out a 5-1 win. The result moves Wisbech back into 2nd place in the league.

The Ladies’ 2nd XI secured a big victory on home soil, beating Kettering 3rd XI 15-0.

Emma Baker and Sam Pritchard each scored four goals, while Kate Penn also registered a hat-trick, with Wisbech opening up a 10-0 lead in the first half. There were also goals for Oliwia Bolka and Ali Monaghan, while Claire Apted bagged a brace.

The result pushes Wisbech up to 4th in Division 3 North West.

“We pressed really well, and moved the ball quickly; it was a really good offensive performance,” captain Harriet Bateman said.

“Full credit to Kettering, they worked really hard, especially in the second half, and the game was played in good spirits.”

The Men’s 3rd XI continued their unbeaten season with a 2-0 win against Long Sutton 3rd XI. Mat Boyall put Wisbech ahead inside 60 seconds after some excellent link-up play with Oli Overland.

Long Sutton came closest to scoring next, forcing a great save from Wisbech goalkeeper Josh Shippey from a penalty corner.

A brilliant run from Robin Middleton helped set up Wisbech’s second goal following the break, with Ciaran Lowe applying the finish from a tight angle. Shippey was again called into action late in the half, turning aside a penalty flick to help secure a 2-0 win for Wisbech, who remain top of Division 5 North West.

Also in Division 5 North West action, the Men’s 4th XI travelled to St Neots. Ollie Smithee applied the finish to a well worked team goal to put Wisbech ahead after 25 minutes, but the game remained close throughout - with the hosts equalising shortly after half-time to see the points shared. The result leaves the fourth team third in the league.

A Lily Cooper hat-trick helped the Ladies’ 3rd XI secure a 3-0 win at home to Newmarket 3rd XI.

Wisbech moved the ball well throughout the game and deservedly took a 1-0 lead into the half-time break. The positive momentum continued into the second half, with Cooper adding her second and third goals of the game to wrap up the three points.

The Ladies now sit third in Division 5 North West, with a game at second-placed Cambridge University 4th XI coming up on Saturday.

A strong defensive performance away at St Ives 4th XI almost saw the Wisbech Ladies’ 4th XI pick up their second point in as many weeks, with the hosts only managing to breach the Wisbech defence late in the game. St Ives added a second before the final whistle, but some excellent passing and positional play from Wisbech provided plenty of positives for the Fenland side.

Following a week off, the Ladies’ 1st XI face University of East Anglia 1st XI - who will make the trip to Harecroft Road.

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