Halbard at the double as Marlow's Women defeat Sonning

Beth Halbard. Muddy Shot Photography

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Marlow Women’s 1sts still have a 100 per cent record this season after Beth Halbard’s brace helped them to a 5-1 win at Sonning.

The Reds expected a tough game on the road at their close rivals, despite Sonning being at the foot of the table.

And in the opening half that proved to be the case, with both teams having to defend well inside the opening 15 minutes.

The breakthrough came when Martha Goodridge capitalised on a defensive error and scrambled home Marlow’s opener, however, the visitors were stung by a Sonning equaliser minutes after the half-time interval.

The home side continued to threaten but couldn’t get the goal which might have flipped the game on its head. Instead, Marlow weathered the storm before responding with four unanswered goals to keep them top of the table on goal difference from Oxford Hawks 2nds. They’ll meet the Hawks in a potentially pivotal clash in a couple of weeks.

Vic Allen fired the visitors back in front before Halbard joined her on the scoresheet 10 minutes later.

A well-worked delivery from Milly Conibear from a short corner was turned in by Lauren Hilditch to make it 4-1 before Halbard netted her second of the match with a diving effort in front of the keeper.

The women’s 2nd team were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Alton 1sts despite player of the match Lenny Connetta scoring early on from a short corner.

The home side had the best of the first half action, with Emma Buxton and Olivia Letchford foiled as they looked to extend Marlow’s lead.

Alton remained a threat on the counterattack in the second half and with just minutes remaining they converted from a short corner of their own to earn a share of the spoils.

Other results saw the women’s third team draw 2-2 with Reading Phoenix 1sts, the 4ths lose 4-0 away to Henley 2nds and the 5ths defeat Maidenhead 4ths 2-0. The 6ths defeated Sonning 4ths 5-0, and the 7ths lost 2-0 away at Sonning 5ths.

A dominant second half display helped Marlow Men’s 1sts to a 4-2 win over Slough on Saturday.

Sam North put Marlow in front from a well-taken penalty corner, but Slough began to exert a measure of control after that and levelled matters from a short corner, the ball taking an unlucky deflection to deceive the keeper. A second followed for Slough before Marlow wrestled back control of the contest. North netted his second with a rocket of a drag flick into the top corner and a stern talking to from player coach Luke Stone further turned the tide in Marlow’s favour.

Pressing their opponents high up the pitch they won the ball back in dangerous positions and created some great chances. North completed his hat-trick from a penalty stroke 10 minutes after the restart and Cameron Beazley-Clarke added a fourth with a shot on the turn. Beazley-Clarke then completed the scoring after some nice interchange passing down the left-hand side while their keeper Max barely had a save to make in the second half.

They’ll host Bournemouth at Pound Lane on Saturday, 3pm push back.

Marlow Men’s 2nd team achieved one of their more notable victories this season with a 5-1 win over second-placed Wycombe 1sts at Pound Lane.

Attacking from the start, they missed several good chances before Dan Field opened the scoring in the 27th minute. Within minutes Dan Harding had added another from a similar move down the right-hand side.

Wycombe posed more of a threat after the interval and scored from a penalty corner. For a time, the game was in the balance, with Marlow keeper Ivor Crampsie making several crucial stops but Marlow had their visitors under siege at times with Joe Henwood scoring a pile-driver from the top of the circle to make it 3-1. Ollie Green scored Marlow’s fourth and Field deftly turned a fiercely hit shot past the keeper to make it 5-1. The result moves Marlow up to seven while Wycombe drop to fourth.

Elsewhere, the 3rd team beat Eastcote 2nds 1-0, the 4ths lost 2-0 away to Sonning 4ths, the 5ths defeated Newbury & Thatcham 4ths 3-0 and the 6ths lost 3-2 to Windsor 3rds with the 7ths losing 4-1 away to Henley 5ths.

A large programme of junior hockey also took place on Sunday, with the u18s boys beating Wycombe u18s 4-3 and the girls u18s losing 3-2 to Surbiton.