Carey on target again to help claim crucial win

Canterbury ladies

Canterbury Ladies pulled further away from the foot of the Investec Premier Division with a 2-1 win over Bowdon Hightown at Polo Farm on Saturday.

After back-to-back away games the city club made the most of home advantage, although the opening 10 minutes were scrappy with some tenacious play from the visitors whenever seeking to win back possession.

However, Canterbury held firm and began to make some headway and Eliza Brett broke the deadlock midway through the first half, rounding the keeper and slotting home the opener.

After half-time the game was equally close and scrappy but the city club defence held firm and the hosts went 2- 0 up with Tinesha Carey grabbing her second goal in as many games, firing in from a tight angle. The hosts made it hard for themselves and let Bowdon back into the game with a scrappy tap-in from Natalie Wray, although they held out for a crucial three points.

The ladies host Clifton in their final game before outdoor hockey’s festive break on Saturday (2pm).

The 2nds warmed up for their topof-the-table clash with East League Division 1 South leaders Sevenoaks with a 4-1 win at home to Saffron Walden.

Moira Clewes stole the show with a hat-trick in a player-of-the-match performance with Cara BroganJones getting the other while keeper Becca Smith was only beaten by a short corner strike which seemed to have been lifted too high.

Canterbury 2As slipped to a late 2-1 defeat at Waltham Forest to lose ground in Division 2 South East.

Despite travelling with a bare 11, two of who were playing their second game of the day, the city club played some fine hockey and created a host of chances, striking the woodwork several times and seeing other attempts fly across the face of goal.

Their only goal came through Jenny Milne’s short corner strike, although Aimee Plumb was playerof-the-match but it was the hosts who grabbed the points late on.

The 3rds allowed a 3-1 lead to slip against Folkestone in the closing stages of their Kent League, Premier Division clash.

The visitors opened the scoring early on but the city club hit back after a good team move and Sue Spight turned the game with a second. Player-of-the-match Lottie Young added a third before the break to make it 3-1 but Optimists came out strong in the second half and three quick goals secured the points to leave Canterbury near the foot of the table. The struggling 3As lost 2-1 defeat at New Beccehamians in Division 1. Investec Hockey League Women’s Premier Division

PWD L F A Ps Surbiton .......... 9 7 2 0 22 6 23 Holcombe ....... 9 6 2 1 24 12 20 E Grinstead ..... 9 5 4 0 15 6 19 Clifton Robins . 9 5 0 4 20 14 15 Uni of B’ham ... 9 4 1 4 24 19 13 Leicester......... 9 3 2 4 9 11 11 Canterbury ...... 9 3 2 4 14 18 11 Slough ............ 9 2 1 6 10 23 7 Bowdon High .. 9 1 3 5 12 21 6 Reading .......... 9 0 1 8 8 28 1 Results: Canterbury 2 Bowdon Hightown 1, Clifton Robinsons 1 Surbiton 2, Holcombe 3 University of Birmingham 1, Leicester 2 East Grinstead 2. Fixtures: Slough v Leicester, Reading v East Grinstead, Bowdon Hightown v University of Birmingham, Canterbury v Clifton Robinsons, Surbiton v Holcombe. England Hockey League, Men’s Premier Division

PWD L F A Ps Holcombe ....... 9 8 0 1 32 12 24 Wimbledon ..... 9 6 3 0 31 15 21 Surbiton .......... 9 5 3 1 34 20 18 Hamp & West.. 9 5 2 2 25 15 17 Beeston .......... 9 5 1 3 22 20 16 E Grinstead ..... 9 4 1 4 23 22 13 Reading .......... 9 3 2 4 19 24 11 Brooklands ..... 9 2 0 7 13 30 6 Canterbury ...... 9 1 0 8 19 38 3 Loughboro ...... 9 0 0 9 10 32 0 Results: Beeston 2 Holcombe 3, East Grinstead 2 Hampstead and Westminster 3, Reading 3 Loughborough Students 1, Surbiton 6 Brooklands MU 2, Wimbledon 5 Canterbury 2. Fixtures: Canterbury v Beeston , Brooklands MU v East Grinstead, Hampstead and Westminster v Surbiton, Holcombe v Reading, Loughborough Students v Wimbledon.