HOCKEY: Sad Hawks now rock bottom (From Oxford Mail)

HOCKEY: Sad Hawks now rock bottom

3:59pm Monday 14th December 2009 in

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Oxford Hawks dropped to bottom of Premier Division 2 after a frustrating 4-3 home defeat against Winchester in their last league game before Christmas.

Hawks started brightly and kept the ball well, making the Winchester players work hard to get the ball back.

They were rewarded after 15 minutes with a penalty stroke, but Andy Brown had his effort saved by the keeper.

Hawks then self-destructed for five minutes and conceded two sloppy goals, which was totally against the run of play.

Tim Martin fired a shot into the roof of the net as they rallied, and shortly after, Sam Chilvers scored with a deflection to make it 2-2.

In between the goals, Hawks were down to ten men, Nick Lamb harshly given a yellow after an incident off the ball.

Winchester scored on the break at the start of the second half to go in front, and Lamb received his second yellow.

A fourth breakaway goal won it for Winchester, before the Oxford side replied with a penalty stroke which Aussie Ian McGregor scored in his last game before returning to Australia. He will be sorely missed by Hawks in the second half of the season.

There was enough time for Lamb to be shown his third yellow of the game – the same umpire dishing out all three yellow cards to him.

It was a bad day for all of Oxfordshire’s leading sides, as in Premier Division 1, Oxford University were beaten 3-2 at Maidstone, Thomas Lockton and Paul Walker scoring their goals, and Banbury lost to Tulse Hill & Dulwich.

Banbury’s first half of the season finished with a whimper as they lost 2-1 to secondfrom-bottom Tulse Hill.

Despite being without the injured Dave Clark, who was recovering from shoulder surgery, and Simon West, Banbury started well without creating any clear-cut chances.

Banbury forced three short corners in quick succession early in the second half, and from the third one, the visitors broke quickly and James Huntley brilliantly lobbed Banbury’s 6ft 6 in goalkeeper Chris Boyle to give Tulse Hill the lead.

Tulse Hill where awarded a controversial short corner and, after Boyle saved the first shot, the rebound was sma-cked home of man-of-the-match Mark Hopkins.

Banbury threw everything at Tulse Hill late on, and Adrian Simons pulled one back from a short corner.

Rover Oxford were emphatic 4-0 winners at bottom club Newbury & Thatcham in the Regional division. Joe Brownhill, Tom Brownhill, Dan Pilbeam and Dan Smyth scored.

Wallingford lost 5-2 at home to Eastcote with Tim Chamberlain and James Lanyon their goalscorers.

Rover Oxford 2nd were comfortably outplayed by table-topping Wycombe 2nd in Regional 2, going down 7-2. Ben White and Matt Neilson getting the consolation goals.

City of Oxford moved back into second in Division 1 with a 4-2 win over Banbury 2nd.

City went two up at the break. Nick Perks fed Paul Scragg to open the scoring and then midfielder Richard Dodds hit a second.

In the second half, the same combination of Perks feeding Scragg made it three.

Banbury rallied and pulled two goals back, but Perks scored himself to seal it for City.

OTHER SCORES SOUTH LEAGUE Ox Hawks 2nd 5, B Airways 2nd 4; Hawks 3rd 5 (T Ward 3, A Morrison, D Barber), Staines 3rd 1; Banbury 3rd 4 (S Holloway 2, B Allen 2); Bicester 2nd 1; Witney 2nd 3 (S Bates, A Birnie, T Yallop), Sonning 4th 3; Witney 4ths 7 (M Jarvis 3, G Wisby 3, N Vigar), Banbury 4th 1; Meadhurst 0, City of Oxford 3rd 3; Bracknell 4th 7, Hawks 4th 1; Hawks Fledglings 4 (T Blackburn, P Dunnill, P Bennett, S Smith), B Airways 3rd 4; Guildford 2, Hawks Falcons 0.

Wessex Masters League: Oxford Hawks Senators 6 (J Pratt 2, E Baldock 2, C Macfarland 2), Barnes Vets 1.

Mercian Under 16 League: City/Rover Oxford 9, Wycombe B 0; Oxford Hawks bt Southgate on lots.

Mercian Under 14 League: Eastcote 0, City/Rover Oxford 11 (N Wilks 6, E Devaney 2, B Knowles 2, H Stevenson); Southgate 2, Oxford Hawks 1.