With Marlow’s first teams resting aching limbs at the mid-season break in the England Hockey League, attention turned to the club’s lower teams whose league fixtures continue for a further two weekends.

The M2s took the short trip to play table-topping Henley’s first team, in South Central Prem 2, knowimg that victory would see the two sides swap league places. Alas, it was not to be, Henley securing a 2-0 win with penalty corner strikes either side of half time. The defeat leaves Marlow fourth in the table, five points behind Henley, but with two sides to be promoted, there is all to play for in the second half of the season.

The W2s had a slightly longer trip in their own South Central Prem 2 fixture, visiting mid-table Southampton University W1s. Having had a frustrating time in front of goal in some of their recent games, it all clicked for Marlow who returned home with a thumping 6-0 win. Particularly pleasing was the hat-trick by Vic Allen in her first game back after a long injury. The win leaves the W2s also fourth in their league, but catching the top two in the table, Winchester W1s and Havant W1s, seems unlikely.

Further down the club, four sides have excellent prospects of promotion from their respective leagues. The M3s (despite a shock 1-0 home defeat to Henley 2s), M4s (after a tight 3-2 win against Reading 4s and W5s (3-0 winners at Wycombe 4s) all top their tables, M7s a great 6-1 away win away to Yateley, while the W4s (3-1 winners against Reading 6s) are in second place.

Leaving the best to last, the match which captured the imagination of everyone in the club was the imaugural fixture between the M1s and M8s. The M8s were newly formed this season as a first step into adult hockey for junior players, ably supported by skipper Toby Arnold and a few other seasoned campaigners. The youngsters loved the warm up session led by Men’s first team captain, Sam North, and greatly enjoyed the mix of game play and coaching which followed. Highlight of the afternoon was young Owain Ashton’s demonstration to his M1s stalwart father Matt of how to roof a drag flick. This seems likely to be the first of what promises to be an annual event.

M1s captain Sam North leads the youngsters from the M8s in a pre-match warm-up