In their last matches before the England Hockey League has a one week half term break, both Marlow’s first teams performed well, and are identically placed in mid-table sixth position in their respective leagues.

The Men’s 1st team, after two weeks on the road, thrilled a good home crowd at Pound Lane on Sunday with a comprehensive 3-1 win over Fareham. Marlow started strongly, and twice just failed to convert back post chances before Tom Ferris squeezed home a brilliant finish from a seemingly impossible angle after the ball flashed once again across the visitors’ goal. Marlow then went two up through skipper Sam North after a penalty corner broke down, and that remained the score at half time.

Fareham pulled a goal back in the third quarter with one of their few forays into the Marlow D, but after Olly Blundy saw an audacious lobbed effort bounce on the cross bar, he calmed any nerves with a brilliant strike with seven minutes left, and that was job done. Ferris, Blundy and Josh Morgans tied the Fareham defence in knots all game, but this was a true team performance, with all Marlow’s players playing their part.

The Women’s first team secured an excellent 1-1 draw away at Lansdown (Cheltenham) on Saturday. Marlow pressed from the start, with forwards Ruby Balcome and Alice Godfrey earning a penalty corner in the second minute from which Balcome scored, despite a corner routine which didn’t go quite to plan. Lansdown had their own chances including a penalty corner, and the equalizer came in the 9th minute with a lob which keeper Alys Ramm pushed on to the post only to see it turned in to the net from the rebound. Ramm calmly defended another penalty corner in the second quarter leaving the score level at half time.

Marlow had more of the possession in the second half with some great attacking play from Jess Rees-Gray and impressive defensive work from Lottie Porter. Both teams had numerous scoring opportunities, with Lansdown having a goal ruled out by the umpires, and the score finished level at 1-1. Marlow finished with mixed feelings - happy with a point, but feeling they could easily have returned home with all three.

Overall, the weekend was a good one for Marlow. The Men’s 3s and 4s and Women’s 4s and 5s all top their respective league tables, and Sunday saw good wins in the EH Cup for the Boys U18s and Boys and Girls U16As and U14As.

Tom Ferris, scorer of Marlow M1s first goal on Sunday
Picture courtesy of Ian Foster @IFSportsImages