Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Brett at heart of first win
Canterbury
Canterbury Ladies registered their first win of the season in emphatic style with a 4-1 success at Slough in Investec Premier Division on Saturday. Eliza Brett broke the deadlock after 21 minutes and she doubled the advantage four minutes from halftime. The clincher arrived six minutes into the second half when Victorine Vankemmel struck and Mel Clewlow added a fourth from a penalty corner on 52 minutes, though the hosts had the final say with a consolation from Harriet Ward two minutes later. Canterbury’s men led twice at Surbiton on Saturday but ended up going down 5-3 to suffer a third straight defeat to begin the season. After a fast start the city club took the lead on nine minutes when Sam George beat three players along the byline and pulled back for Tom Bean to thunder the opening goal and continue his impressive start to life at the city club. David Goodfield, however, levelled less than 60 seconds later after a fierce shot had rebounded off keeper Diccon Stubbings and with Canterbury in the midst of a swathe of substitutions Goodfield’s second put the Surrey side in front on 25 minutes. Canterbury were stung into action and after good work by Kris Glass, James Meakin’s fierce shot was deflected in by Harry Roberts on the half-hour. Stubbings made a fine save to keep the hosts out and four minutes after the break Will Hayward put Canterbury into a 3-2 lead after Craig Boyne and George had combined to feed Sean Gilmore to cross into the D. The advantage lasted just seven minutes as Alan Forsyth grabbed the third for the hosts and after Boyne was denied by the keeper’s head, Surbiton were in front three minutes later when William Marshall struck with a solo goal. Despite Canterbury pressing for a reply, Gareth Furlong sealed the win with a fifth from a penalty corner eight minutes from time. The 2nds enjoyed a 4- 0 win at home to Southgate 2nds in London Premier Division. Michael Farrer opened the scoring with a neat penalty corner conversion and Sam Barrett doubled the lead with a flick from Rob Playford’s pull-back after good work from Alex Holton. It was 3- 0 at half-time after Barrett coolly converted a penalty stroke after a ball struck a foot and Andrew Dunn smashed home the fourth from close range after the break from another short corner. Patrick Brooks and Nick Townsend were on target but the Pilgrims allowed a 2- 0 half-time advantage to slip to a 3-2 defeat at home to Sutton Valence in South League Kent/sussex Regional 2. The 3rds and 4ths played out a ninegoal Polo Farm thriller in the opening Kent Area Division 1 game of the season with the 4ths edging the points 5- 4. The Millers drew 2-2 at Herne Bay in Division 2 after coming from behind. After falling 2- 0 behind, the Millers got one back through an excellent move started and finished by Barry Thomas who later scored a classy goal from a short corner to level the match. The 5ths edged Folkestone 4ths 4-3 in Kent Open Premier B. The Griffins lost 4-2 at Tunbridge Wells 4ths in Premier C. Callum Lea swept home after good work from Matt Carney but Wells hit back to lead 2-1 at the break and though Carney levelled the scores after the turnaround, the hosts finished the stronger to claim the points. The Squires enjoyed an 8-3 success at home to Burnt Ash in Kent Open Division 1. Parvez Bhatti led the way with a hat-trick, while Roger Snelling and Adam Watkins notched two goals and Peter Bowell got the other.