Welcome to this week’s MyMarlow Sports Roundup! A packed roundup this week, with plenty of hockey action from across their teams, Marlow Rugby’s 1st team lined up against Bicester, two Marlow FC games to bring you as well as Marlow United’s thrilling cup game.
If you are interested in watching any of the teams we mention then get down to: Pound Lane for Marlow Hockey, Riverwoods for Marlow Rugby and Oak tree road for Marlow F.C.
- Marlow Rugby next play against Chesham on Saturday at 2pm. The England v Wales game will be shown afterwards and everyone is welcome to come and watch.
- Marlow FC’s next home game will be against Chipstead FC on Saturday 7th March. Marlow will also play at home against Reading on Tuesday 11th March in the Berks & Bucks Senior Cup Quarter Final.
- Marlow Men’s 1s and Ladies’ 1s both play at home on Saturday 7th of March
If you have any sports stories you want to share, match results, feel your club should be included or know of someone who deserves a mention in the roundup next week, email me: ben.dawson@mymarlow.co.uk
HOCKEY
Marlow Men’s teams
Marlow Men’s first team went to Oxford to play the University’s 2nd team and played some of their best hockey of the season.
Photo by Helen Ritchie (www.helenritchiephotography.co.uk)
It was a very disciplined performance and the score, 2-1 in Marlow’s favour, hardly did justice to the way they played. The goalscorers were Chris Sutton and Luke Stone. They stay 3rd in the league, one point beyond Amersham & Chalfont who also won but the gap narrowed again on the leaders Reading 2s who could only draw.
Marlow 2s welcomed Banbury 2nd XI to Pound Lane on Saturday. After losing 1-7 in the reverse fixture, Marlow were keen to make amends. Both sides started well. Marlow were creative but couldn’t quite turn build up play into goals. However, they eventually made the breakthrough, courtesy of Jacob Gunn.
Banbury pressed higher in the second half and were eventually rewarded with an equaliser. Marlow fought back, earning a short corner. David Hand struck it hard for a deflection which rather than hit the back of the net, hit his team mate James Ashburner on the knee cap, ending his participation in the game. With five minutes to play, another short corner saw Mav Girn hit hard across the D, looking for a deflection. Instead it found its way into the net off a foot. Banbury protested it hit a Marlow player first but with no VAR to call upon, the umpires award the goal. Final score, 2-1 to Marlow.
Other Men’s results: –
- 3rd team lost 4-1 away the Windsor 1s
- 4th team beat Leighton Buzzard 2s at home 1-0
- 6th team lost 1-0 to Wycombe 5s at home
- The Strollers (veterans) beat Camberley Owls 2-0 which means that they qualify for the East/West finals day of the Southern Counties Hockey Conference
Marlow Ladies’ teams
The Ladies’ first team travelled to south west London to play Spencer 1st team. The first half saw Spencer dominate possession and territory with the Marlow defence standing strong and protecting their circle. Keeper Dibs Haisman did make many good saves and Spencer’s goal came from a counter attack through the middle of the pitch which was deflected into the goal. Marlow came out stronger in the second half and had many chances in the closing ten minutes of the game in which the Spencer keeper and defence made several goal line saves. Marlow were frustrated not to score and the game finished 1-0 to Spencer. The result meant that the teams changed places in The South League Division 1, Marlow are now 7th and one point above Maidenhead.
Other Ladies’ results: –
- 2nd team drew 0-0 at home with Maidenhead 2s
- 3rd team lost 1-0 at home to Sonning 2s
- 4th team beat Windsor’s first team away 4-0
- 5th team beat Oxford Hawks 6th away 7-2
- 6th team beat Thame 4s away 2-1
Marlow Junior Hockey
The Boys under 10s took part in the Bucks Cup for that age group and were runners up on goal difference and qualifying for the regional finals.
On Thursday under the clubs floodlights the boys under 16 team played Wycombe U16s and won 4-0 to advance to the next round of the National Knockout Cup for U16 boys.
Special Mention
Will Hunter, who is in year 12 at Sir William Borlase Grammar School, has been awarded the Leap Talented Athlete Bursary at the awards at Bisham Abbey last week. The bursary aims to support players who achieve national level places. Will is a very talented goalkeeper with Marlow Hockey Club and also does a huge amount of volunteering as a young leader helping with the next generation of goal keepers.
RUGBY
Marlow Men’s 1st XV
With storm Jorge on the horizon, Marlow travelled to Oxford Road with high expectations that they would secure a win away to Bicester in what was sure to be a physical encounter and the travelling support were not disappointed.
Due to injury, Marlow’s backline were forced into a number of positional changes from the side that had beaten Aylesbury two weeks previously; most notably was the absence of captain, Hugo Jafari, from the match day squad.
Marlow won the toss and elected to play up the hill, but with the wind in their favour.
From the first whistle Marlow made their intent and game plan clear, with their forwards carrying into contact and consistently making the hard yards over the gain line. Bicester’s defence soon organised itself, and managed to turn the ball over, which lead to them clearing their 22. From the resultant line out Marlow continued to work through the phases and carried strongly back into the Bicester 22. Slick hands from Marlow’s fly half, Christian Witney, delivered the ball to inside centre, Stu Jordon, who bulldozed into contact, smashing his way through the Bicester defence and scoring Marlow’s first try. With the strong wind hampering both sides, Whitney was unable to convert the extras. 0-5.
The game continued to be a forward dominated affair with both Bicester and Marlow keeping things tight, exchanging blows and taking the direct route. Bicester then spread the ball wide from 1st phase and broke the Marlow line who were unable to recover and the the left wing sped in for a well worked try. The conversion was missed. 5 – 5
Bicester had now grown in confidence and with the wind in their faces had clearly decided to keep ball in hand. They continued to dominate the possession and soon found themselves in Marlow’s 22 once again, and following a number of short passes from the base of the ruck, they crashed over the line to take the lead. This time the conversion was good. 12 – 5 with a quarter of the game gone.
Play continued at a fast and furious pace, but Marlow started to exert their dominance in both the set play and in the loose. It would be yet another set of driving runs and close quarter play that led to hooker and oldest member of the squad, Sly Silvester barrelling over for Marlow’s second try just after the half hour mark. 12 – 10
Marlow’s set piece was now in the ascendancy with both scrum and line out causing Bicester cause for concern. Ben Smith, who captained for the first time, dominated in the air, securing own ball and continually pressurising the Bicester line-out. It was a sniping dart at the base of the ruck by Jack “Mexico” Rider that eventually gave Marlow the lead in the dying minutes of the half. Christian Whitney successfully converted 12-17 at the break.
Marlow went in to the 2nd half knowing that despite having dominated possession they hadn’t capitalised on their opportunities and whilst the second half would give them the slight hill advantage they would be against a strengthening wind. Marlow came out of the blocks quickly after the break, playing with real intent. A mid field scrum to Marlow on the Bicester 10 metre line set up yet another scything run from Jordan that tied in all of Bicester’s midfield. Flanker Bruno Renucci picked up from resulting ruck and cut through what was left of the Bicester defence to set up quick ball that was spread wide to winger Nick Gorham to score in the corner. 12 – 22.
Bicester again showed great resilience and soon found themselves camped on Marlow 5m line. Marlow threw everything at Bicester to prevent the score. However, Bicester managed to find and edge out wide and score in the corner. 17 – 22.
The Marlow set piece was now completely dominant and with the penalty count in their favour would see the majority of the second period camped in Bicester’s half. A series of multi-phase plays led to Marlow’s Stu Jordon again crashing thought the Bicester defence to score his second and cap a man of the match performance. 17 – 27 with 10 minutes to play.
With the game drawing to a close, the physical encounter was having its effect on all the players. Bicester rung the changes in a desperate attempt to get back into the game and found themselves back in the Marlow 22. Following an off the ball incident both Marlow and Bicester were given yellow cards. Bicester kicked for the corner, in a final throw of the dice to claim a losing bonus point. The Marlow defence held firm, forcing an infringement at the maul. The penalty was kicked to touch, drawing the final whistle. Marlow had secured all 5 points, returning to Riverwoods knowing that they had navigated one of the trickier away fixtures of the season
FOOTBALL
Marlow FC
Marlow FC played away at league leaders Ware FC on Saturday. Marlow earned themselves a hard fought 0-0 draw, a pleasing result for the Blues against a tough Ware side who sit firmly at the top of the Isthmian South Central Division.
Marlow also played a struggling Northwood side in the mid week fixture. Isaac Olorunfemi scored the only goal of the game for Marlow on the 74th minute to make it 1-0 and see Marlow come away with all three points.
Marlow United
Marlow progressed to the last eight of the Supplementary Cup with an emphatic win over Didcot Development.
Playing against a youthful home team Marlow swept into an early two goal lead and were never threatened there after, romping to a five goal half time lead to book a place in the quarter finals of the competition.
