Marlow Hockey Club’s U18 Boys’ team followed the success of the U14 girls a week ago in reaching the quarter finals of the England Hockey Cup on Sunday, with a resounding 5-1 win over Southgate in front of an enthusiastic Pound Lane crowd.

Having beaten local sides Wycombe and Maidenhead in earlier rounds, Southgate, historically one of the giants of English hockey, promised to be a tough challenge, and came to Marlow with confidence and an unbeaten record to protect.

Marlow were fast out of the blocks, scoring their first with a rasping reverse stick strike early in the game, followed by a sliding conversion at the far post after a flowing team move a few minutes later, taking the score to 2-0 after ten minutes.

Southgate were stung into a response, and pulled a goal back from a slickly taken penalty corner routine, but it wasn’t long before Marlow’s two goal cushion was restored with another well-taken goal, and the score remained 3-1 at half time after a half containing some scintillating hockey.

With twin junior internationals Ollie Blundy and Noah Gilmour marshalling Marlow’s defence calmly, and threats all across the forward line, the reds’ goal was rarely threatened, and after going 4-1 up from a backboard-breaker of a penalty corner strike from Bertie Demery, the win was assured.

Attention wandered, leading to a scrappy period of play, only to be recovered when Marlow found themselves down to nine after a couple of sin-binnings. This period was negotiated without alarm, and the afternoon was rounded out nicely with a well-taken fifth, leaving the final score as 5-1. Bertie Demery scored a hat-trick, with Marlow’s other goals coming from Ollie Blundy and Toby Wingrove.

Marlow scorers (from top to bottom) Berty Demery, Ollie Blundy and Toby Wingrove.
Pictures courtesy of @IFSportsImages