Spalding Hockey Club round-up

Spalding Ladies continue to set the pace in Division 2NW of the East League after a 5-3 success over St Ives on Saturday.

They took the lead after just two minutes as Spalding won a short corner with Evie Maltby smashing the ball through the keeper's legs and into the goal.

Only a few moments later, Charlotte Maplethorpe received a slick pass from Laura Graves to slot home the second goal.

Hennie Boekestyn then received a green card, leaving Spalding with 10 players, and St Ives reduced the arrears.

However, Spalding came back strongly with Honor Moore scoring from a rebound after a short corner to make it 3-1 at half-time.

St Ives pulled a goal back shortly after the break but this did not deter Spalding and Moore scored her second goal of the match after chipping her finish past the keeper from a short corner.

Sophie Wilson increased the advantage shortly after by pushing another short corner through the opposition's defence.

St Ives scored again before the final whistle after converting a short corner but Spalding ran out worthy winners.

The second team claimed a hard-fought point after a good all-round effort in their match with Kettering.

An astounding hit from a well worked short corner by joint player of the match Lynn Sullivan put Spalding in front.

However, despite some determined play from Sam Maltby and Lauren Harvey, Spalding found themselves trailing at the break as Kettering scored twice.

They rallied after the interval and created numerous chances after dominating possession.

Sullivan calmly converted a short corner to equalise but the winner proved elusive despite more chances going the way of the Maroons.

A fine first half performance laid the foundations for the third team to run out 4-1 winners against Ely City 2nds.

They scored three times in the opening period with Kelly Tizzano seizing the opportunity to chip the ball over the Ely keeper for their first goal.

Spalding continued to dominate the game with their precise passing which then led to Jess Pilgrim converting after receiving the ball in the attacking D.

A third goal arrived just before half-time a fine passing move found Sam Fosten who slipped the ball through the keeper's legs.

The second half saw Ely come back strongly and they reduced the arrears before Spalding added a fourth goal to seal the win with a textbook finish from Chloe P.

Spalding men's third team went down to a 5-2 away defeat at Cambridge City 6ths.

The Maroons defended well for the first half with great performances from defenders Simon and George Goode before conceding just before the break.

Cambridge increased their advantage after the interval on the counter attack from a short corner which was finished from a tight angle.

Spalding responded and Reuben Rogers scored a lovely goal by rounding the keeper and netting from a tight angle.

However, the hosts hit three goals without reply to take control of the contest before Spalding finished strongly.

Danny Wright saw an effort blocked on the line and then a good save denied Spalding in a one-on-one.

Rogers then scored another good goal from a short corner which rebounded back to him as Spalding lost out in a close game where there were good performances from Tim Amess and Marco Mendoza.

Spalding's fourth team showcased resilience throughout the game as they went down to a 6-1 defeat against table-topping Bourne Deeping 3rds.

Bourne Deeping took control early, exploiting defensive lapses to score multiple goals in the first half.

Goalkeeper James Booth was a stand-out performer, making several superb saves to keep the scoreline manageable.

Defensively, Lorenzo Mendoza and Alex Myland made key contributions, with Mendoza's timely interventions and Myland's impressive tackling helping to stabilise the backline.

In midfield, Rafa Reed linked defence and attack effectively, driving forward and creating opportunities.

Jack Dorsett scored Spalding's only goal, providing a moment of celebration amid the challenging match.

Spalding will take valuable lessons from this encounter as they aim to build on individual performances and improve their cohesion in upcoming matches.