Hockey: Upstarts down Spartans

Upstarts 4-3 Spartans

The Sunday rainfall didn’t dampen the competition in the BHF men’s match where Upstarts held off a number of strong challenges in the second half to win 4-3 win over Spartans.

The first goal of the match came in the fifth minute by a smoothly-executed play by Spartans’ Sammy Thompson, beating three defenders and the keeper to take the early lead.

Upstarts responded six minutes later with a clean strike by Tony Ward from  a penalty corner, assisted by Donnie Moniz.

However, Spartans’ Nigel Deane battled back with a counter attack and a slap-shot goal in the 19th minute from a reverse-stick pass by up-and-coming Spartans’ junior player Q’shai Darrell.

Upstarts’ Ward executed his second goal — this time a field goal — in the 30th minute after a scramble in the ‘D’. The ball was placed through the Spartans’ keepers’ legs to leave the score in a 2-2 tie at half-time.

In the second half, Upstarts notched successive goals — Tom Gridley with a penalty-corner play in the 40th minute from a Donnie Moniz slip before  Tyler Smith took the Upstarts’ score to 3-2 with a well-taken field goal in the 53rd minute.

Spartans rallied throughout the second half and although they had a number of opportunities, they were able to convert only one.

With five minutes left on the clock, junior Q’shai Darrell hit a shot just wide, assisted by a clean pass by Josh Thompson in the ‘D’.

Although a high-scoring game, the men of the match were both goalkeepers, who prevented the scoreline being one of the highest this season.

Bluebirds B 5-1 Longtails 

After a closely-fought first 15 minutes, Longtails made the breakthrough with a penalty-corner goal by Maya Palacio.

They held on to this lead until the break but Bluebirds came back strong and levelled through a penalty corner by Deborah Sagurs, who blasted the ball home.

Bluebirds kept the pressure on with most of the play in the Longtails’ half as another penalty corner was given and executed by Bluebirds’ Nikki Murray-Mason.

Laura Bardgett slipped one past the keeper near the penalty spot in the 46th minute to put the Bluebirds  3-1 up.

It was four when Murray-Mason dribbled the ball from a long corner along the baseline and her strike was miskicked by the Longtails keeper and tucked into the empty goal by Maria Harris.

Harris added her second in the 65th minute to wrap up a 5-1 victory.

Swallows B 2-1 Ravens

Ravens’ Alex Wheatley executed a penalty corner in the 10th minute but Swallows’ Joanna Heaney’s brace proved the match-winning effort.

Longtails 0-7 Ravens A

Ravens A were in seventh heaven after a dominant win over Longtails.

Amori Venter and Jessica McClure bagged a brace each, while Carolyn Soares, Alex Wheatley and Emma Simmons were also on target.

Wildcats 0-1 Budgies B

Budgies’ Kaitlyn Miller scored a field goal in the 65th minute to settle the match.