Cambridge City Hockey Club Women’s first team boost survival hopes with victory against Wimbledon

Cambridge City boosted their Vitality England Hockey Women’s Division 1 South survival chances with a 4-2 home win over Wimbledon II at the weekend.

Maddy Murphy opened the scoring for City with a neat finish, with further goals coming from Emily McStea (2) and Holly Dean.

While City remain in the relegation zone, they are now just one point from safety with two matches remaining.

They play the first of those on Saturday (March 25) when they welcome bottom-of-the-table Witney to Wilberforce Road.

Elsewhere, Kara Kilbourn and Emma Owens were the star turns as Cambridge City II recorded a 7-3 home win at the expense St Albans II in the East Women’s League Premier Division.

Kilbourn dominated the scoreboard with four goals, while Owens set up four and also bagged one herself.

Millie Ely and Becca Granger were also on target for City, who sit fourth in the table.

Cambridge City III are top of the East Women’s League Division 1 North table following their 2-1 win at Dereham.

Laila Hollis broke the deadlock for City before Verity Allen secured the victory with her first goal of the season via a penalty corner.

The win has moved City a point clear of their second-placed hosts with a game in hand, while they are four points better off than Ipswich in third.

East Women’s League Division 3 North West champions Cambridge City V showed no signs of easing down as they chalked up a 7-1 win at Huntingdon.

Anna Gomez scored twice from close range alongside further goals from Hannah Worth, Maegan Green, Katie Hensman, Heather Colston and Jo Howland.

In the England Hockey Men’s Division 1 North, champions elect Cardiff & Met dished out a 5-1 defeat to Cambridge City.

It took the home side, who had a number of Welsh internationals in their starting line-up, 22 minutes to break City’s resistance.

Two quickfire goals from Cardiff early in the second half ended the game as a contest, although Ollie Harper did pull one back for City before the home side added a fourth and fifth.

With potentially as many as four sides being relegated from the East Men’s League Premier Division, Cambridge City II boosted their survival hopes by winning 2-1 against Cambridge University.

Meanwhile, Cambridge City VI and V remain first and second respectively in the East Men’s League Division 4 North West standings after posting commanding weekend victories.

The table-topping VI team won 7-1 at home against Cambridge South V thanks to braces from Ben Journeaux and Raphael Zailer-Fletcher, with further goals from Nigel Anns, Nigel Gadsby and Will Earl.

Two points behind – with a game in hand on their club-mates – are the V side, who racked up a 6-1 victory at St Ives IV.

Doug McLeod scored four of the goals in a clinical display, while Addison Scott notched twice.