City of Peterborough return to National League hockey in style with impressive away win
City of Peterborough Hockey Club returned to National League hockey in style with a 4-2 Midlands Conference win in Banbury on Sunday.
City were relegated from the upper echelons at the end of the 2023-24 campaign, but bounced back at the first attempt after running away with the East Premier Division title last season.
With the rise in standard players who had left the club came back and two of them, Joe Finding and Matt Goodley, were responsible for 3 of the 4 City goals in a competitive clash at the North Oxfordshire Academy.
Goodley capped a strong City start to the game with a goal after just 6 minutes, but a steady procession of visiting players to the sinbin – City were reduced to 9 men at one point – enabled the hosts to get back into the game and they levelled 6 minutes before half time.
The rest of the scoring was done in the final 15 minutes with Archie Senior claiming his first senior goal for City after excellent set-up play from new recruit Alex Bickerstaff.
Banbury soon found another equaliser, but their goalkeeper conceded a penalty stroke to earn a dismissal. Finding converted it and added a further penalty in the final moments to seal the win.
City host St Albans – 5-2 winners yesterday – at Bretton Gate next Sunday (September 28, 2pm).
City of Peterborough Ladies were also relegated at the end of last season and they opened their East Division One season with a 2-2 draw at Norwich City. The home side scored first from the penalty spot, but goals from Lily Craven and Hannah Brown saw City in front by the break and they held the lead until a penalty corner equaliser 3 minutes from time.
The ladies are at home to Cambridge City next Saturday (1pm).
Other City East League results and scorers
Men: 2nds lost 6-3 to Norwich City (Sam Biccarino, Jacob Hings, Dan Barkworth); 3rds lost 4-2 to Cambridge South (Carl Daniels, Leo Oliver); 4ths beat Spalding 4-1 (Craig Petrie 2, Gary Hales, Rufus Ingram); 6ths beat Spalding 11-0 (Phil Martin 5, Wayne Humphreys 2, Neil Burford 2, Adam Humphreys, Eesa Najib); 7ths beat Newmarket 7-2 (Max Hawtin 3, Peter Hings 2, Simon Leon 2), 8ths lost 5-1 to Bourne Deeping (Arslan Ather).
Women: 2nds lost 1-0 to Cambridge South; 3rds lost 1-0 to Ely; 4ths lost 3-1 to Cambridge South (Kate Hurn).
Bourne Deeping men hit back from 3-1 down to draw their opening East Division Two North West game 3-3 with Newmarket. Ben Brittain (2) and James Risebrow scored the goals.
Spalding won 4-0 at Cambridge City in the same section, while Wisbech Town went down 5-3 at home to Ely.
Other Bourne Deeping men results and scorers
2nds beat Cambs Nomads 5-3 (Watkins, Walker, Wooldridge, Butler, Hunt); 3rds beat Pelicans 6-2 (Moisey 4, Middlemass, Joyner); 4ths beat City of Peterborough 5-1 (De Souza 2, Mann 2, Foster); 5ths lost 1-0 to Newmarket.