City of Peterborough will be wary of wounded opponents

Hockey - The title charge continues

Title-chasing City of Peterborough manager Graham Finding has warned his players to beware a Chelmsford side thirsting for revenge on Saturday.

On paper it should be a routine win for table-topping City against a team stranded in the lower half of the East Premier A Division table, especially as Finding’s men won the reverse fixture 10-2 at Bretton Gate

But the boss, a keen student of Premier Divison form, expects a far more difficult clash as they seek the three wins (from three matches) that would guarantee top spot and a coveted return to National League hockey.

Finding believes a hardfought 4-0 win last weekend against a negative Saffron Walden side will turn out to be ideal preparation for this Saturday.

“Our result earlier in the season against Chelmsford was a standout scoreline as no other team have scored more than five against them this season,” Finding stated.

“But that result could make life a lot tougher this Saturday. They will be smarting from that result and the way Saffron Walden played against us is the way we can expect Chelmsford to play.

“All teams are well prepared and have strong gameplans. Chelmsford also only lost by one goal to our title rivals Wapping and St Albans so this game will be extremely tough.”

It took City 25 minutes to break Walden down before they eased to a 4-0 win with three second-half goals. Joe Finding (2), Adam Wilson and Nathan Foad scored.

Spalding fought back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with relegation rivals Blueharts, but need to win two of their final four matches to have a chance of staying up. Josh Rowbotham and Lawrence SmithHughes scored for Spalding.

City of Peterborough seconds damaged the survival hopes of Wisbech first team by scoring a last-gasp equaliser in a Premier B Division match that finished 2-2.

Wisbech seconds would have been promoted from Division Three North West with a win over Cambridge South thirds, but they were held to a 3-3 draw. Wisbech now need a point from three matches.

City of Peterborough Ladies now only have a faint chance of winning the East Premier Division title after slipping to a 3-2 defeat at West Herts. Tierney Augustine and Jeorgia Carr had both dragged City level before the home side won the game on the stroke of half-time.

Two more points from three games for leaders Ipswich will ensure City can’t overtake them, but second place would still be a great achievement. City host bottom club Old Loughtonians this Saturday (1pm).

City of Peterborough thirds recorded a terrific 8-0 win over March firsts thanks to goals from Libby Smith (2), Kara Morton (2), Andrew Howard, Kirsten Hackett, Lucy Norfield and Rachel Richardson. Chelmsford Saffron Walden Ipswich Blueharts Spalding

PREMIER B DIVISION P W (P) Cambridge C II19 16 Norwich C Wapping II Ipswich & ES Bourne Deeping 19 8 Dereham Waltham Forest Havering City of P’boro II West Herts II Wisbech 19 10 18 8 Cambridge Uni II 18

DIVISION ONE (Bottom four) P W D Bishop’sStortford18 6 CambridgeN (R)Felixstowe LongSutton

DIVISIONTWO NORTH (Bottom half)

P W D L GD Pts Bury St Edmunds 19 6 CityofP’boroIII19 6 UEA HarlestonIII 19 19 19 18 18 18 18 19 19 18 19 19 5 19 18 4 4 1 1 11 8 7 7 7 6 3 2 2 1 19 4 4 2 4 3

D1 3 2 5 4 3 4 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 1 3 3 2 5 11 13 14 14

L2 4 7 5 7 7 7 9 9 10 13 -54 14 40 49 13 -22 L GD Pts 9 -24 -52 -64 15 10 5 4 1 -13 4 -9 -6 -29 -11 11 -8 16 -102 14 -30 10 -1 11 -19 20 10 -19 16 7 6 36 32 29 28 27 25 24 24 20 12 9 21 18 7 6 21 17

City of Peterborough’s Adam Wilson (red) tries to force his way through two Saffron Walden players.