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 Hockey Club
Women’s results
Marlow’s 1st team visited rivals Wycombe and emphatically dispatched seven past the helpless Wycombe goalkeeper with Lauren Hilditch scoring four.
Marlow started well with Lauren Hilditch putting the ball past the Wycombe keeper in the opening minutes of the game.
Hilditch scored her second with a mid-air ‘cricket shot’ following a bouncing pass from Beth Halbard.
Wycombe still looked dangerous on the break and Marlow keeper Alys Ramm made a vital double save in the 25th minute.
Vic Allen scored her first of the game in open play, after being instrumental in the build-up to the previous goals.
Martha Goodridge snuck in Marlow’s fourth goal seconds before the halftime whistle blew.
Marlow continued to dominate the second half, with some incredible pace and passing which Wycombe could do little about.
Hilditch scored her third goal in the 40th minute and another the 60th minute to take her tally to four.
Allen scored her second of the game in the final few minutes to leave the final score 7-0 to the Reds.
This result keeps Marlow’s promotion hopes firmly in sight with a 6-point lead at the top of the table.
League table:
The 2nd team had two fixtures over the weekend against teams above them in the league.
Marlow’s defence prevailed in both matches which both ended in 0-0 draws as they hosted Havant 1s on Saturday and Basingstoke 2s on Sunday.
Marlow held their structure and press throughout both games, and transferred across the back line and used the width but found it difficult to break through – particularly against Havant.
Against Basingstoke, the forwards worked hard to fashion chances, but the opposition keeper was in form to keep the clean sheet.
Player of the match performances from Sophie Appletree, Katie Jarvis and Emma Buxton for driving the team forward.
League table:
Other women’s results:
- 3rd Team beat Sonning 2s 1-0,
- 4th Team lost 6-0 to Amersham & Chalfont 3s,
- 5s and 6s played each other in a league match and drew 0-0, and
- 7th Team lost 2-0 away to South Berks 5s.
Men’s results
The men’s 1st team were away to Oxford Hawks 2s and managed to pull off another last-minute win.
Josh Covus scored early in the game as the team started well but then struggled to make much progress.
Hawks scored from a penalty corner followed by two poor, scrappy, open-play goals.
Marlow came back into it and Josh Morgans scored two to make it 3-3 at half-time.
Marlow started the second half poorly and Hawks scored within the first five minutes with a cross that was deflected in by a defender.
Marlow then battled hard to get a foothold in the game weathering a barrage of five penalty corners in as many minutes, three of which were stopped on the line.
Finally, Marlow got a grip on the game and started to pass the ball with more control and won two penalty corners in the final ten minutes, from both of which captain Sam North scored with drag flicks.
It was a scrappy game that produced very little quality, but another win that made up for the team’s midweek loss 2-1 away to Oxford OBU.
League table:
The 2nd Team were at home to Oxford University 2s in what turned out to be an exciting encounter between two well-matched sides with Marlow taking the three points in a 3-2 victory.
For much of the first half the game was mostly in midfield with neither goalkeeper was called into action.
Oxford scored a well-worked goal which spurred Marlow into action, and they applied more pressure.
A short corner on the stroke of halftime led to a penalty stroke and Phil Cowell slotted it home coolly.
The second half was end-to-end with both goalkeepers busy.
Oxford took the lead again and soon after Lloyd Francis levelled it for Marlow.
Even with time running out, it seemed likely that one of the teams would score the winner which came through Ollie West who was in the right place to tap the ball home to secure the win by three goals to two.
League table:
Other men’s results:
- 3rd Team lost3-0 to Amersham & Chalfont 2s,
- 4th Team beat Leighton Buzzard 2s 6-0 away,
- 5th Team lost 2-1 to Reading Phoenix 2s away,
- 6s and 7s played a friendly which the 7s won 2-1!
Marlow Town Women’s Football Club
Marlow Town edged out Burghfield in a tight 2-1 win.
The game was against strong opposition on a difficult pitch. The score at half time was 2-0, thanks to a goal from Hayley Larkin and Sarah Robertson, both goals assisted by captain Sharon Muir.
It wasn’t an easy game and Burghfield pulled a goal back. However, Marlow Town held on to secure three valuable points.
The game against Wycombe Saints Ladies was postponed on Sunday 21st January.
On Sunday 28th January Marlow Town played Wokingham & Emmbrook Ladies who were a place and one point behind Marlow in the league, having played one more game.
Marlow started strongly and led 2-1 at halftime, with two great goals, first from Shannen O’Connor, who controlled the ball well and volleyed it into the net; the goalkeeper had no chance, a fantastic goal.
The second goal was a wonderful pass from Vikki Green to Sharon Muir, who took a great touch and finish to take her goal tally to 15 for the season.
The second half was close, and two well-taken goals from Wokingham secured the 3 points; Wokingham leapfrogged Marlow into 3rd place with 29 points, Marlow 4th on 27 points, having played one less game.
Next up: Goring United Women’s Reserves at Hedsor, 2pm kick off, Sat 3rd Jan.
League table:
