Stourport Hockey Club - match report

But Peterborough opened the scoring early on in the second quarter, when the ball evaded the Stourport defence and found a Peterborough forward who pushed the ball past Will Oakley in the Stourport goal. As the quarter progressed, the home side rallied and improved, but it was that single goal at the break. Stourport began the third quarter positively and created some early chances before Chris Kendall fired a reverse shot into the goal to pull the scores back level to 1-1. Peterborough retook the lead late in the third quarter, and after Stourport had pulled off their keeper, in the last five minutes, sealed the victory with a third goal.

The men's 2nd XI came up against a hard-working and well-organised Shrewsbury men's 1st XI side in the Midlands Division 4 West, losing to their visitors 0-3. Stourport created plenty of chances but were unable to convert any of them and found themselves 0-2 down at half-time after goals in the 20th and 30th minutes. Despite a positive performance from several of Stourport's younger players in what was a tough afternoon for Stourport, who conceded another goal in the 60th minute, there were lessons to be taken forward into next week.

The men's 4th XI came back from going behind in their Midlands men's 7 South West Division match to win 4-2 against their visitors, Olton & West Warwickshire 4th XI. Stourport made a confident start but fell behind against the run of play in the 8th minute. The hosts responded swiftly, after 11 minutes, through a well-executed short corner routine which Thomas White converted. The home team took a deserved lead after John Kane scored the first of his brace of goals, shortly before the break. Olton pulled a goal back to level the scores, but Kane added his second of the match and Stourport's third in the 50th minute. The home side sealed the victory with a fourth goal late in the match by Daniel.*

The ladies' 1st XI had a long three-hour drive for their Women's Midland Conference league against Harleston Magpies 2nd XI, but it was well worth it as they came away with a 5-1 victory in this action-packed match. Stourport began strongly with some sharp passing and put the home side under relentless pressure, and their efforts paid off when a well-worked penalty corner in the 5th minute allowed Sophie Thompson to open the scoring for the visitors. Harleston were soon back on level terms when they equalised, in the 9th minute, after a second-phase short corner goal, but from then on Stourport's excellent hockey stole the show, netting four more goals before the final whistle. Firstly, Thompson added her second in the 18th minute, when she dribbled round the keeper. Emma Nobales followed this up with her first-ever National League goal, from a penalty corner in the 32nd minute, to give Stourport a 3-1, and then just before the break, Laura Price stepped up to convert a penalty flick a minute before half-time. Stourport rounded off this all-around brilliant team performance with a fifth goal by Isla* in the 64th minute. This convincing victory on the road sets up the 1st's for their 6pm push back at home to Nottingham Trent University 1st XI.

*Donates Junior players