Welcome to this week’s roundup of sporting action from around Marlow. We are keen to include as wide a variety of sports and clubs, so if you want to be featured, please contact our sports reporter Cameron Beazley-Clarke via our contact form.
Marlow Town Women’s Football Club
The last game before the Christmas break saw Marlow Town Ladies thrash Wroxton Sports Ladies 11-1 to end the year on an extremely positive note.
Hayleigh Larkin and Becca Meller contributed with a brace each. Meller has now 13 goals for the season. Vikki Green also got a goal with a well-taken shot from outside the box.
Markman Sharon Muir scored an incredible five goals including a left-footed rocket into the top corner.
The momentum has been carried forward into the new year as Marlow beat Arborfield 6-2 in the first game of 2024
Marlow played well in tough conditions on a very soft pitch.
Captain, Sharon Muir scored two well-taken goals – now leading scorer with 14 for the season – plus two goals from Shannen O’Connor, one from Sarah Robertson and an Arborfield own-goal.
Marlow dominated the game in the first half by retaining the ball and passing strongly, and they were 4-0 up at half-time.
The second half was trickier as the pitch conditions deteriorated, and Arborfield got back into the game. There were two further goals from Marlow to put the game beyond doubt.
A fantastic result to kick off the second half of the season. Marlow are now up to 3rd place in the league.
Next up is away to Burghfield Ladies Reserves on Sunday, 14th January, at 2 pm.
League table:
Marlow Hockey Club
Women’s results
In a rearranged game, Marlow 1st team hosted 4th-placed Bournemouth but stumbled in their bid to gain promotion to the National League for the first time in their history after a 3-3 draw.
Vic Allen started her first game after being injured in the best way possible by scoring for the Reds after eight minutes.
Bournemouth replied with an equalizer just minutes later.
Marlow took the lead again in the 12th minute with captain Rachel Goodwin and Beth Halbard linking up enabling Goodwin to slot the ball past the Bournemouth keeper.
Bournemouth pressed hard and dominated possession in the last 10 minutes of the first half and found another equalizer to leave the score 2-2 at halftime.
Marlow started the second half with determination and Lauren Hilditch put the ball past the keeper to give Marlow the lead again.
Both teams had numerous opportunities in front of goal but many squandered. Bournemouth scored their third goal from a break.
Marlow upped the tempo in the final ten minutes to try and find a winner. This was to no avail and the final score stood at 3-3.
In a game where either team could have snatched a victory, a draw seemed the fairest result. Despite dropping two points Marlow remain unbeaten and are four points ahead at the top of the league. This Saturday Marlow travel to Oxford Brookes University to take on Oxford with the home side hoping to close the gap at the top of the table to one point.
League table:
Other women’s results:
- 3rd Team lost 4-2 to Reading 4s,
- 4th Team lost 4-0 to Oxford Hawks 4s,
- 5th Team lost 1-0 away to Newbury & Thatcham 3s, and
- 6th Team beat Wycombe 4s 2-1 away.
The men’s first and second teams didn’t have any fixtures and instead traveled to Bisham Abbey to play GB women in a warm-up game before the women jet off to Valencia for their Olympic qualifiers where they will face Canada, Malaysia, and Spain in Pool B. Meanwhile, the men’s team take on China, Malaysia, and Pakistan in Pool A in Oman.
Men’s results:
- 3rd Team beat South Berks 2s 4-2,
- 5th Team beat Maidenhead 3s 2-0, and
- 6th Team beat Wycombe 4s 6-1 away.
Marlow Football Club
After a poor run of results in December where Marlow had picked up only four points from a possible 15 they had hoped for the best possible start to 2024.
Recent January results have been positive for the Blues after 3-0 and 3-1 wins against Sutton Common Rovers and Uxbridge respectively leaving them in a relatively comfortable 5th placed position – this would guarantee a play off place come the end of the season.
Away form has, suprisingly, been superior to home form this season with Marlow picking up a possible 16 points at home (nine matches played) and 25 points away (11 matches played).
Marlow would hope for a fast start when they traveled to Uxbridge on 6th January.
Dawid Rogalski and Khalid Simmo did exactly that and scored a goal each to make the score 2-0 within the first six minutes of the game.
Uxbridge responded in the 21st minute when a penalty was awarded by referee Charlie Roberts. The spot kick was dispatched by Mahlondo Martin as Uxbridge threatened a come back.
However, the points were secured for Marlow after Rogalski scored his second of the game just before half time.
FT: Uxbridge 1-3 Marlow
League table:
