Marlow’s men’s and women’s 1st teams have all to play for in their last matches of the league season on Saturday, but at opposite ends of their respective England Hockey West Conference leagues.

The women need a point away at Cheltenham to guarantee safety after a frustrating 2-2 home draw against local rivals Slough on Saturday, rueing the fact they let a 2-0 lead slip in the closing minutes of the game.

It all looked so promising in the first half, with Marlow playing their best hockey of the season. Caroline Richard opened the scoring early in the first quarter with a thunderous strike after a lovely team move. Lana Jones-Wallis then doubled the lead just before half time, with a similarly comprehensive reverse-stick strike.

The third quarter was tighter, with the sides trading penalty corners which were well defended, and no further goals came until half way through the final quarter, when a Slough penalty corners finally got past Alys Ramm in the Marlow goal, and was stopped by a defender’s foot on the line. A penalty stroke was the result, and although Ramm got a touch to the ball, she couldn’t stop it crossing the line.

With five minutes left, Slough were awarded another penalty corner, which led to a shot which looked to be going wide, but was cruelly deflected by the number one runner’s stick, the deflection taking it high into the roof of the net.

Despite the late reverse, Marlow remain above both Slough and Saturday’s opponents Cheltenham, as well as Clifton Robinson’s, and could feasibly survive whatever the outcome of the final game - but they will be playing for a win just to make sure.

Marlow’s men had a very different day on Sunday, romping to a 7-0 win over Isca in their last home game of the season. After a cagey and goalless first quarter, Callum White opened the scoring after deftly wrong-footing the Isca goalkeeper and smashing in a reverse stick shot.

That goal opened the floodgates, with three penalty corners goals following by half time - the first an audacious overhead finish by Jayden Zammler after the initial strike was saved, the second and third more conventional drag flicks by Tom McKinley and White. He then went on to complete his hat-trick early in the second half, followed by Zammler scoring a second close-range goal after a flowing team move.

White completed the scoring with his fourth goal a minute before full-time, and Marlow’s spirits, already high, were raised still further when news filtered through that league leaders Clifton had lost 3-1 at Chichester. Although Clifton remain favourites for the title (and the sole promotion place) they will be taking nothing for granted as they head west to Ashmoor in the final round - a tough place to win. Only Marlow have done so this season.

Sunday also saw Marlow’s U18 girls win through to the final of the EH Tier 2 Plate, after a close-fought victory in a penalty shoot-out at Khalsa Lemington. At finals weekend in Nottingham, they will be joining the U18 boys, who had already secured their place in the T2 Cup final, and finished their league season unbeaten with a last minute 2-1 victory over Reading.

Caroline Richard, scorer of Marlow’s first goal on Saturday
Picture courtesy of @GMWSportPhoto