Hockey stars shine but it’s mixed fortunes on football pitch
NORTHERN Conference Cup action dominated the fixture list for Edge Hill University – and there was a plethora of goals to enjoy.
Eye-catching results included the hockey first team, 4-3 winners at Lancaster seconds. Connor Lloyd and Nick Fletcher both scored twice, ensuring the side a first success in the competition for five seasons.
There were mixed emotions for the men’s footballers. The firsts edged out Manchester Met firsts 5-4, with Dan Warren (2), Liam McNally, Robert Hanslip and Christopher Boyes on target.
But despite coming back from twodown to draw 2-2 (Ian Hamilton and Robbie Harrison getting the goals), the seconds lost 4-2 on penalties to Manchester seconds.
The free-scoring women’s firsts saw off Leeds Beckett seconds 5-1, with Georgia Walmsley, Annabel Ainscough, Cara Bickett (pen) and Eve Davenport (2) on the mark.
But there was disappointment for both women’s hockey teams, the firsts beaten 4-1 by Liverpool women’s thirds (Abigayle Hall on target) while the seconds suffered an 11-1 defeat to UCLAN women’s firsts, having led through Madeline Francis.
It was a mixed day in netball, with the seconds (39-30 against Liverpool fifths) and thirds (25-20 v Manchester sixths) victorious, but the firsts (43-28 at Lancaster seconds) and fourths (32-19 v Liverpool Hope seconds) exited the Northern Conference Bowl.
The men’s firsts were winners in badminton, defeating Keele firsts 5-3, although there was frustration for their female counterparts, beaten 9-8 on overall games won after the tie against Manchester seconds had ended 4-4.
There were encouraging signs in defeats for both basketball teams. Liverpool women’s seconds prevailed 60-48, despite 19 points from Edge Hill’s Grace Patton, while the injury-hit men went down 85-66 to Lancaster firsts.