Marlow see off struggling Slough with scrappy but deserved victory
Marlow remain second in the table after seeing off local rivals Slough in a scrappy but deserved 3-1 victory away from home on Saturday.
Leaders Banbury remain 10 points clear of the Reds at the top of the table - despite their surprise 2-1 home defeat to Oxford OBU at the weekend - and with just three matches left to play, Marlow are looking to hold off Bournemouth for a second placed finish that could see them promoted.
They host bottom of the table Maidenhead on Saturday (4.30pm start) having thrashed Phil Cowell's men 8-2 earlier in the season.
Marlow had most of the possession in a cagey first period where chances proved hard to come by.
Both sides were guilty of giving up possession too cheaply and neither could find that final killer pass. However, Marlow have been clinical this season, netting 65 times in 19 matches, and, with just two minutes remaining in the half, Callum White broke the deadlock with a crisp finish from a short corner.
Slough are still scrapping for their lives this season and they showed more intensity after the interval, but after a tussle for possession the ball fell kindly for Cameron Beazley-Clarke who smashed home an incredible reverse stick volley to make it 2-0.
Slough got themselves back in contention when a shot hit a Reds' player on the goal line and a penalty stroke was awarded and converted by the hosts. But Marlow took control in the latter stages and that pressure paid off when Matt Ashton drove down the wing and played in White who slipped a pass across the box for Josh Covus to score at the back post.
The men's 2nd team were comfortable 4-0 winners over Reading 3rds at home, a result that keeps them in the hunt for promotion.
Charley Hunter netted the first from a penalty corner and further goals from Hunter and Anthony Williamson inside 20 minutes killed off Reading's challenge. Chris Sutton bagged the fourth with a poachers finish at the back post to round off a convincing win.
The men's 3rd team edged out Oxford Hawks 5ths 1-0 away from home and will become champions if they pick up maximum points from their two remaining games.
Marlow Women's 1sts produced a scintillating display to smash Trojans 11-0 away from home on Saturday, their biggest win of the season by some distance.
Marlow started well and opened the scoring in the eighth minute through Nat Riches' strike from a penalty corner. Rachel Goodwin doubled their advantage with a strike from open play in the 16th minute and Vic Allen put them three goals to the good inside 20 minutes. A further three goals would follow before half-time from Riches her second from another penalty corner - Helena Sykora and Collette Fitzpatrick who smashed home a rocket of a shot from the top of the circle.
Goodwin made it 7-0 just three minutes after the restart and a full 20 minutes passed before Emma Bunyard scored the visitors' eighth. It opened the floodgates once again with Riches completing her hat-trick in the 63rd minute, Bunyard scoring her second with a lovely deflection which lobbed the keeper and Riches completing her four-goal haul to make the final score 11-0. The result sees Marlow in third ahead of their rearranged fixture with Oxford on Tuesday night.
The women's 2nd team were caught napping by Wycombe 1sts, conceding inside the opening minute, and while they bounced back to equalise through Eleanor Sharp's fine finish, they trailed to a disappointing 5-1 defeat.