South Berks Ladies are setting the pace in the South Central Hockey League, as they navigated through another busy week of league action involving ten teams.
The Ladies 5th team maintained their position at the top of the league, even without playing. Wycombe, in second place, applied pressure with a 6-0 victory, setting the stage for a top-of-the-table clash with Berks at Cantley Park next week.
The Ladies 4th team secured their second spot with a narrow 1-0 win over Windsor on Saturday, thanks to Claire Owen’s crucial goal. Reading retained the top spot on goal difference. The teams are poised for a title decider on the 23rd of March at Cantley Park.
In a comeback effort, the Ladies 1st team drew 2-2 against second-placed Winchester after being 2-0 down, with goals from Sarah Kelly and Bello Pio. Despite earning a point, Berks slipped to fourth in the league, trailing Havant by one point.
The Ladies 3rd team fought to a 2-2 draw with bottom-of-the-table Amersham, securing goals from Jen Cruse and Sandra Doddington. The result leaves Berks second from the bottom, four points away from safety.
The Ladies 2nd team, lacking firepower up front, suffered a 1-2 defeat at home to Oxford Hawks, with Erin Begley scoring for Berks. This result keeps them in 9th place, eight points clear of the relegation zone.
On the men’s side, the 1st team experienced their 12th defeat of the season, falling 1-4 to league leaders Reading. Josh Cowell equalized from a short corner, but defensive errors and a penalty stroke led to a 1-4 loss. Berks now sit in 11th place, three points behind Henley and are in desperate need of a win away at Oxford University on Saturday.
The Men’s 2nd team earned a valuable point away at Newbury, with Joe Hayes scoring the goal. Berks are positioned at 8th in the league, level on points with Oxford University and Henley, two points above the drop zone. A crucial game awaits them against Henley at Cantley Park on Saturday.
The Men’s 3rd team engaged in a six-goal thriller with Wootton Wanderers, resulting in a 3-3 draw. Goals from Des Sanders, Chris Priddle, and Ryan Kaley kept Berks in third place, three points behind second-placed Oxford.
The Men’s 4th team suffered their first home defeat, losing 1-5 to league leaders Abington, with Robert Grant scoring for Berks. They maintain their third-place position, two points behind Marlow.
The Men’s 5th team lost 0-2 at home to Newbury, slipping to 8th place in the league. However, they still have a comfortable nine-point cushion from the drop zone.
The Men’s 6th team secured a 1-4 away win at Wallingford, with goals from Don McAleevan, Ian Hopkinson, Craig Osborne, and Louie Bowbanks. Berkshire maintains the top spot in the league, three points ahead of Slough, with a game in hand. Berks face third-placed Wycombe at Cantley on Saturday morning
