SPORT Qualification in the balance Hockey: Jaffa Super 6s

Canterbury’s indoor squads both have some work do do after the opening weekend of the Jaffa Super 6s Championship.

The men are slightly better placed after two wins from four at Bromsgrove School, but the women face a tough job trying to grab one of the four qualifying spots after losing three of their four games at Telford.

Craig Boyne’s squad began their weekend with a 5-2 defeat against Kent rivals Holcombe, who led 3-0 at the break.

Nick Bandurak’s double had them 2-0 down inside six minutes with Alex Moen making it 3-0 on 18.

Bandurak’s third early in the second half extended the lead but goals from Boyce and Matt Carney cut the deficit before Rob Field netted Holcombe’s fifth in the final seconds.

Canterbury bounced back on the opening day by sweeping to a 6-2 win over East Grinstead. Most of the work was done in the first half as a Sam Barrett hat-trick helped them into a 5-1 lead. Boyne and Tom Bean were the other first-half scorers with Barrett going on to add a fourth in the second.

Canterbury looked well set for another win on day two when goals from Boyne, Bean and Harrison Smith moved them into a 3-1 interval lead over Sevenoaks.

However, they failed to find the net in the second half and, after Joe Naughalty had brought Oaks level with six minutes left, the same player hit the winner with just two minutes left on the clock.

Barrett claimed his second hat-trick of the day in Canterbury’s final of the weekend, which produced a 7-5 victory over Wimbledon.

Boyne and Bean both struck twice, although the latter did also receive a yellow card in the closing stages.

Canterbury ended the weekend in fourth, just ahead of Holcombe on goal difference. Hampstead & Westminster, Sevenoaks and Surbiton occupy the top three places.

The city club resume their campaign on January 5-6 when they will face, Hampstead, Surbiton, Brooklands MU and Team Bath Buccaneers.

Three second-half goals without reply saw Canterbury Ladies beaten 4-1 by East Grinstead in their opening game at Telford.

Lizzie Neal’s strike had seen them get to half-time all square.

Neal was on target twice against Slough but her double was not enough to prevent a 5-3 defeat. Skipper Nikki Ball was their other scorer.

Day two began with another defeat, this time at the hands of Kent rivals Holcombe. Canterbury trailed by the odd goal in three at half-time but Holcombe outscored them 3-1 in the second period to complete a 5-2 victory.

Neal and Ailsa Naylor scored against Holcombe for Canterbury, who broke their duck in their final outing, overturning a 2-1 half-time lead to secure a 4-3 win over Beeston, who finished the weekend bottom of the table.

Neal, Paris Gaisson and Aimee Plumb, with two, were Canterbury’s scorers.

They finished the weekend next to bottom four points adrift of Bowdon Hightown who fill fourth spot.

They will face Buckingham, Bowdon, Clifton Robinsons and Leicester over the second weekend.