HOCKEY: Speedy Hawks move up to second (From Oxford Mail)

HOCKEY: Speedy Hawks move up to second

11:30am Tuesday 8th November 2011 in Hockey

Oxford Hawks warmed up for next week’s Premier Division 2 top-of-the-table clash with West Hampstead by seeing off Epsom 4-1 at Banbury Road North.

Confident Hawks started brightly and Epsom had no answer to their speed and movement.

Simon Buckingham put the home side ahead, Epsom replying from a well-worked short corner.

Hawks soon regained the lead after Dave Cresswell converted a short corner.

The second half was more even, Epsom sharing possession, but rarely threatening the home D. Hawks went further ahead following a neat passing move which saw man-of-the-match Adam LePage make it 3-2 after a one-on-one with the keeper.

And the same player completed the scoring with five minutes left to move Hawks up to second in the table.

Oxford came from 3-0 down to hold table-topping Marlow to a 3-3 draw in Regional Division 1 of the South League.

The visitors gave as good as they got in the first 15 minutes, but then Marlow netted twice before the break and added a third shortly after.

Oxford refused to throw in the towel and pulled one back through Kit Cutter at a short corner, and they added a second with 15 minutes left as Andy Wynd finished off a team move with a deflection.

Keeper Chris Mitty made a number of key blocks to keep Oxford’s hopes alive, and after a rash challenge from a Marlow defender inside the 25, they had their chance.

The first effort from the corner was blocked, but Dan Bleach managed to poke home the rebound to give his side a share of the points with less than a minute left.

Bicester bounced back from last week’s 9-1 trouncing to record a 2-0 win over Ashford 2nd in Middlesex, Berks, Bucks & Oxon Division 1.

The home side had a goal disallowed as the first half finished at 0-0, but Luke Smith broke the deadlock with a deflected shot early in the second half.

Peter Bowen was untroubled in goal thanks Bicester’s tidy defence, and they made sure of the points after fine work by Geoff Snell set up Harry Gaunt for No 2.

OTHER RESULTS.

Regional League Div 1: Oxford Hawks 2nd 1, OMT 2.

Div 2: Oxford 2nd 1 (E Collins), Witney 2; Oxford 3rd 1 (O Dale), Staines 2nd 5; Oxford Hawks 3rd 5 (C Lander 2, J Regers 2, S Cox), Slough 1.

Div 3: Oxford 4th 1 (D Woollett), West Hampstead 4th 3; Oxford 5th 2 (L Dyson, J Stuttard), Milton Keynes 3rd 3.

Div 6: Oxford 6th 2 (C Orme, D Cowley), OMT 3rd 2; Oxford 7th 1 (Horner), Marlow 3rd 1.

Div 7: Bracknell 3rd 1, Oxford Hawks 4th 2 (K Hack, D Rawstorne).

Div 9: Oxford 8th 4 (M Daplyn, N Devaney, J Fisher, B Dudgeon ), Bracknell Terriers 3; Oxford Hamsters 1 (J Jones), PHC Chiswick 6th 4.

Div 10 West: Oxford 9th 2 (J Flather 2), Abingdon 3rd 2.

Wessex Masters League Div 1: Oxford Bulls 1 (T Scrase), Haslemere Vets 4. OTHER MATCHES. Ox Hawks Senators 10 (M Crowley 3, S Dawson 2, P Poulter, J Pratt, P Scragg), Guildford 1; Ox Hawks Fledglings 8, Eastcote 6th 1; O Hawks Falcons 4 (I Sobey 3, D Hughes), Wokingham Vets 0; Wycombe 7th 2, Bicester 4th 1 (S Birtles).

MIXED. Adastral 1 (M Hooper), Abingdon 1.

YOUTH MATCHES. Ox Hawks Under 14 4 (C Chapman, N Gordon, J Taylor, W Webb), Witney 2.