Cambridge City Hockey Club's Women’s I still searching for their first Vitality England Hockey Women’s Division One South win of the season
It is now three defeats from three outings at the start of the new Vitality England Hockey Women’s Division One South season for Cambridge City.
On this occasion City were beaten 3-0 at home by Slough, who struck twice during the first half at Wilberforce Road.
The home side were actually the dominant force for large parts and created plenty of chances – most notably via Kat Petch and Emily McStea – but goals eluded them and instead they shipped another at the other end early in the fourth quarter.
City will now aim to get off the mark on Saturday (October 15) when they make the long journey to the south west to take on Isca & University of Exeter.
City head into that encounter sitting bottom of the early-season standings and one of two sides yet to have earned a point.
As for their hosts, they are second after collecting seven points from the first nine on offer.
Meanwhile, Cambridge City II picked up their first win of 2022/23 in the East Women’s League Premier Division courtesy of a 4-2 home triumph at the expense of Letchworth.
Emma Owens scored a brace, both of which were well taken strikes as she entered the circle following strong runs.
Kara Kilbourn scored City’s third goal after she robbed a defender of possession, held off a challenge from two opposition players and then beat the visiting goalkeeper from close range.
And City’s scoring for the afternoon was completed by Megan Higgs, who volleyed home after her cross had taken a deflection.
In the East Women’s League Division 2NW, Cambridge City IV chalked up a 3-2 win at Bourne Deeping I.
Abbey Cotton opened the scoring with a solo effort that ended with her rounding the goalkeeper and slipping the ball in off the far post.
Anna Dicker’s penalty stroke and Xanthe Stebbing’s neat finish accounted for City’s second and third goals, while Naomi Hewlett made a key save from a penalty stroke that proved pivotal to the result.
Cambridge City V enjoyed a thumping 12-0 home victory over Bourne Deeping II in the East Women’s League Division 3NW.
All five of Fran Burn’s goals rattled the backboard, while Josephine Howland, Viv Ronco and Becky Hayward all bagged braces alongside one goal from Laurel Tully.
In the East Women’s League Division 4NW, Cambridge City VI ran out 4-1 winners against March Town I.
It has been a hectic period for Minnie Eve, who after running the London Marathon and completing a Park Run on Saturday morning, marked 70 minutes of hockey with a goal against March.
It was Eve who gave City the lead before Natalie Ronco pounced on two defensive lapses by the March goalkeeper before Kate Newhouse completed the scoring.
It is back-to-back Men’s Hockey League Division One North victories for Cambridge City after they racked up a 4-3 win at Belper.
Duncan Rudd opened the scoring for City after captain Nathaniel Farrant drove to the base line and sent in a low cross.
Farrant then turned scorer when he deflected in a penalty corner before goals from summer signing Conor Annand – his third of the season – and Josh Lee rounded off the scoring.
City, who are fifth with a return of six points, will play host to second-from-bottom Deeside Ramblers on Saturday (October 15).
In the East Men’s League Premier Division, Cambridge City II won their eight-goal home encounter with Old Southendians 5-3.
All of the goals were scored in open play, with the first two coming from deflections courtesy of Ben Dudgeon and Dilip van Doren.
Dudgeon scored his second goal of the game when he crashed the ball into the bottom left hand corner before his hat-trick was completed when he turned in Benjamin Cross’ shot.
And the scoring was completed by Van Doren, who was alert to the rebound after Alex Bilalis-Stone’s initial effort had been saved.
In the East Men’s League Division 1, Cambridge City III suffered a 4-3 defeat at the hands of Cambridge University II.
City’s David Madden opened the scoring with a drag flick that nutmegged the opposition’s goalkeeper but the students equalised from the restart.
Goals from Luca Moor and Nick Jerman then put City 3-2 in the ascendancy but two late strikes from the university side turned the game on its head.
Despite being depleted Cambridge City IV managed to record a 3-1 home win from their East Men’s League Division 2NW encounter against Cambridge University III.
The students made a fast start to the game but they were smartly repelled by City goalkeeper Alfie Piper, who was making his debut between the posts.
Having weathered the storm the play settled down, although the university managed to break the deadlock with a well worked move down the wing.
However, City equalised when Elliott Kirkpatrick sent a drag flick into the roof of the net before Hugh Aubrey gave them the lead with a neat finish.
Both sides carved out opportunities in the second half before Kirkpatrick settled the nerves for City when he scored his second – and his team’s third – goal of the encounter.
In East Men’s League 4NW, Cambridge City VI won 3-1 at home against St Neots III.
It was the former first-team players who combined to secure the three points for City in a dominant display.
Nigel Anns and Nigel Gadsby both rifled home from penalty corners, while the third goal came courtesy of Stephen Graves, who deflected in a shot.
Cambridge City Veterans played out a 2-2 draw with Bourne Deeping IV to harvest their first point of the campaign.
Henry-Denny Gouldson continued his fine form in front of goal by scoring for the third game in a row following an individual run, while Alfred Warren buried a penalty corner to ensure the spoils were shared.
