Hockey team's rally too late to save game
Newmarket men's hockey team are without a win in
1995 and their chance of playing in the East League Division Five
next year is looking very bleak.
They need 13 points from a possible 21 but five
of the seven teams left to play are in the top seven, battling for
places themselves.
Newmarket entertained Bourne on Saturday who are
one place below them and have not won in six matches. The home side
were without Roger Wise and Dave Badcock was playing for the 2nd XI
but Paul Young was able to play. Captain Bob Townson opted for short
corner striker Lee Blades to start on the subs bench.
Newmarket conceded a goal late in the first half
and Bourne added three more in the second period before Newmarket
rallied.
Jimmy Robinson had to go off for attention to a
cut head, but when he returned he produced the first of a series of
short corners which lead to goals. Bennett got the first and
Newmarket found a new lease of life. From another short corner
Blades' shot was stopped but an attempted clearance fell to Bennett
who flicked the ball into the roof of the net.
The third goal came when Cummins fed Gurnell who
scored from an acute angle. Newmarket should have had a penalty
flick when Bennett was stick-tackled from behind but the umpire
awarded a short corner. It was only in the last 20 minutes that
Newmarket looked dangerous.
On Saturday Newmarket play Gorleston.
Counties pick Town hockey trio
Newmarket Hockey Club had three representatives
playing for two different counties in the Eastern Region Under-21
Championship which opened at Norwich on Sunday.
Lee Blades and Adrian Gurnell played for Suffolk
while Jimmy Robinson, not required by Suffolk, turned out and scored
for Cambridgeshire, his home county, in the first minute of their
opening game against Norfolk.
Results: Cambridgeshire 2, Norfolk 2;
Bedfordshire 0, Hertfordshire 2; Lincolnshire 0, Norfolk 2; Suffolk
0, Essex 3; Cambridgeshire 4, Beds 2; Hertfordshire 1, Essex 2;
Lincolnshire 1, Suffolk 0.
The tournament continues on 2 April.
