A rare bleak weekend for City of Peterborough first teams..and not just because of the weather
It was a rare bleak weekend for City of Peterborough as the men’s and ladies first teams both tasted defeat.
Ill discipline haunted the men as they were beaten 3-1 at National Midlands Conference bottom club University of Birmingham 2nds on Sunday. The students were registering their first win of the season.
The hosts were 3-0 down in 47 minutes after suffering three separate yellow cards. At one point they were playing with nine men because of multiple occupation of the sin bin.
Matt Goodley did pull a goal back from a late penalty corner, but it was too little too late. City are still a creditable fifth at the halfway stage of the season, They entertain sixth-placed Banbury at Bretton Gate next Sunday (2pm) which is the last game before the Christmas break. City won at Banbury on the opening day of the season.
Standings (all played 9): 1 Leek 23pts, 2 Oxford Hawks 19pts, 3 St Albans 14pts, 4 Norwich City 13pts, 5 City of Peterborough 13pts, 6 Banbury 13pts, 7 University of Nottingham 2nds 13pts, 8 Stourport 6pts, 9 Barford Tigers 5pts, 10 University of Birmingham 2nds 5pts.
City Ladies lost for the first time in East Division One, 2-1 at fourth-placed Sudbury, but they remain top on goal difference.
Sudbury opened the scoring after two minutes and added a second goal on 47 minutes before Claire Bowtell pulled a goal back 10 minutes from time.
It’s another big game for City on Saturday when third-placed Norwich Dragons visit Bretton Gate (1pm). The Dragons are just a point behind City.
Standings (all played 10): 1 City of Peterborough 25pts, 2 Cambridge City 4ths 25pts, 3 Norwich Dragons 24pts, 4 Sudbury 21pts, 5 Norwich City 19pts, 6 Cambridge South 19pts, 7 Dereham 2nds 12pts, 8 St Neots 10pts, 9 Spalding 9pts, 10 Wisbech 7pts, 11 UEA 3pts, 12 Ipswich 2nds 3pts.
In the men’s East League Eesa Najib was the hat-trick hero as City of Peterborough men’s sixths won a top-of-the-table clash in Division Five, 3-1 at home to Kettering. City are now top after inflicting Kettering’s first defeat of the season.
Standings (all played 10); 1 City of Peterborough 6ths 25pts, 2 Kettering 25pts, 3 City of Peterborough 7ths 22pts, 4 Wisbech 3rds 21pts, 5 Bourne Deeping 3rds 21pts, 6 Cambridge South 6ths 15pts, 7 St Ives 4ths 15pts 8 Spalding 4ths 11pts, 9 Pelican 4ths 9pts, 10 Newmarket 3rds 4pts, 11 Wisbech 4ths 3pts, 12 Long Sutton 2pts.
Selected City scores
Men: 2nds beat March 4-0 (Tom Tuffnell (2), Joshi Harriss, Oliver Drake); 3rds beat St Neots 4-1 (Ed Hales, Gary Hales, Jacob Hings, Shane Carlton); 4ths lost 0-7 to Pelicans; 5ths lost 0-2 to Cambridge City; 6ths beat Kettering 3-1 (Eesa Najib 3); 7ths beat Bourne Deeping 3-1 (Simon Leon, Sammy Spencer, Andy Berrett); 8ths lost 0-6 to Bourne Deeping.
Ladies: 2nds beat Kettering 3-1 (Lisa Deacon, Mel Stapleton, Victoria Short); 3rds beat Bourne Deeping 3-0 (Hayley Jeal, Sue McNaughton, Laura Andrew); 4ths beat March 4-0 (Helen Stevens 2, Miriam Wood 2).
Boys: Under 16s beat Crostyx 7-0 (Charlie Cox 3, Oliver Drake 2, Harry Sutterby, Harry Ingram); Under 14s lose 2-3 to Old Loughtonians (Sam Beasant 2).
Girls: Under 14s lost 3-7 to Bury St Edmunds (Yasmin Hawkins, Ellie Morris, Annabelle Robinson); Under 16s lost 1-5 to Cambs Juniors (Lucie Buckley).
Bourne Deeping 3rds remain unbeaten and top of East Division Four after a 2-0 win against St Ives. Chris Mann scored for the 3rds in a 3-1 Division Five loss at City of Peterborough, but the 4ths beat a City of Peterborough side 6-0 with goals from Elliot Bates (2), Wayne Staff (2), Tyler Armstrong and Johnny Belcher.