WARRINGTON Hockey Men’s 1st team represented the North-West in the England Hockey National Cup with a successful trip to Yorkshire.
They faced off against Aire Valley and a partisan support including the local MP, which were soon silenced by a dominant and aggressive Warrington performance. The visitors quickly took the lead,
Alan Livingstone brought the ball out of midfield, and found James Warburton on the wing, who inturn found Ben Vickers whose snapshot flew past the Aire Valley goalkeeper.
Vickers doubled his tally shortly after with a powerful shot through the goalkeeper’s legs having been assisted by Sam Pinion.
Just before half-time, Warrington goalkeeper Tom Lloyd preserved their advantage with an excellent reflex save off his glove to deny the hosts a route back into the game.
Warrington continued to push forward in the second half, Warburton and Harvey Mason both hitting the post before club chairman Simon Mason made it 3-0 with a pinpoint finish into the bottom corner after Richard Cook’s effort was saved. Aire Valley pulled one back from a short corner shortly after but were unable to mount a comeback thanks to more Lloyd heroics and some excellent Warrington defending. Carl Fairhurst rounded off the scoring with a simple finish into an empty goal following an aerial from Cook after Aire Valley subbed off their goalkeeper for an extra outfield player.
The 4-1 victory takes Warrington into the Quarter Finals with the club targeting silverware.
Warrington Men’s 2nd team suffered a 3-0 home defeat to Whitchurch.
Warrington started well and dictated the tempo with great passing and composure from back-to-front but were unable to test the visiting keeper. A rare foray forward from the visitors saw them take the lead just before half-time with an accurate shot past goalkeeper Nick Parry.
Warrington’s second half was riddled with bad luck as they lost Noal Phillpotts, Douglas Samuels, and Dan Sutton to injury. Whitchurch took advantage, adding two more goals against the depleted hosts to secure themselves a flattering scoreline.
Warrington Women’s Development side thumped neighbours Runcorn 5-0 at Priestley College.
Jenny Fox opened the scoring with a tidy finish after great link-up play from Rebecca Wells, Louise Unsworth, and Lauren Hayes. The same quartet combined once again; however, it was Unsworth who found the net to make it 2-0. The third goal came from a short corner just before halftime,
When Katherine Parker slid the ball out to Hayes whose shot found Parker at the far post who applied a cute deflection finish.
Warrington ground down Runcorn in the second half. Fox grabbed her second goal following more excellent team play before Parker concluded the scoring with a penalty flick, confidently dispatched into the bottom right corner.
The dominant result means the Development side have now gone five games without defeat.
Warrington Women’s 1st team did not have a fixture.
