Finding completes fantastic fightback from City of Peterborough and Lily strikes twice for the table-topping ladies
City of Peterborough staged a fantastic fightback to grab a point from their National Conference Midlands fixture at Norwich City on Saturday.
The hosts scored twice in the opening 10 minutes and added a third on 28 minutes to take a 3-0 lead into the interval.
City team leaders delivered some harsh words during the break and the response was immediate as skipper Matt Porter pulled a goal back in the first minute of the second-half.
Two goals in two minutes from Alex Bickerstaff and then Joe Finding hauled City back on level terms with 20 minutes go. All the City goals were scored from open play and both teams had chances to win the game before the final whistle blew on a 3-3 draw.
The point left City in sixth place. They are next in action on Saturday, February 21 against University of Nottingham seconds at Bretton Gate (6pm start). The students are a point and a place above City.
Standings (all played 12): 1 Leek 30pts, 2 Oxford Hawks 24pts, 3 St Albans 19pts, 4 Norwich City 18pts, 5 University of Nottingham II 18pts, 6 City of Peterborough 17pts, 7 Banbury 14pts, 8 University of Birmingham II 8pts, 9 Barford Tigers 7pts, 10 Stourport 7pts.
City of Peterborough Ladies maintained their four-point lead at the top of East Division One after an important 3-1 success at third-placed Cambridge South.
Leah Goddard gave City a flying start with a third minute goal before the hosts equalised from a short corner 10 minutes later.
But the City response was immediate as they won a penalty corner of their own which top scorer Lily Craven converted and it stayed at 2-1 until the break. Craven then added a match-clinching third goal two minutes into the second-half.
City are back in Cambridge next Saturday to face fourth-placed Cambridge City. The Bretton Gate ladies also have a game in hand on the two teams directly below them.
Wisbech did City of Peterborough a favour by securing a 2-1 win over promotion chasing Sudbury. Wisbech came from behind to win with goals from Holly Tyler and Nat Ward, the latter delivering a superb finish. Hannah Welcher was the Wisbech player-of-the-match. Wisbech were beaten 6-0 in a rearranged game at Cambridge South the following day.
Standings: 1 City of Peterborough P16 43pts, 2 Norwich Dragons P17 39pts, 3 Cambridge South P17 37pts, 4 Cambridge City P16 37pts, 5 Sudbury P17 36pts, 6 Norwich City P117 27pts, 7 Spalding P16 15pts, 8 Dereham II P17 15pts, 9 Wisbech P17 14pts, 10 St Neots P17 12pts, 11 Ipswich II P17 10pts, 12 UEA P16 9pts.
There were some hat-trick stars for City of Peterborough in the lower teams. Danny Needham scored three as the mens’ 3rds beat Ely 7-4, while Luke Barkworth scored all three goals as the sevenths saw off Cambs South 3-2.
Lianne Jones also scored all three goals for the ladies fifths who beat St Neots 3-2.
Other City results Men: 2nds lost to Kettering 2-4 (Alex Boxall 2); 3rds beat Ely 7-4 (Danny Needham 3, Gary Hales 2, Manny Patel, Shane Carlton); 4ths lost to Cambs Uni 1-3 (Max Cave); 5ths lost to Ely 2-5 (Matt Wallace 2); 6ths lost to Newmarket 4-5 (Phil Martin 2, Max Hawtin, Stuart Dawson); 7ths beat Cambs Sth 3-2 (Luke Barkworth 3); 8ths lost 0-3 to Kettering.
Ladies: 2nds beat Newmarket 2-0 (Annie Chan, Ruby Hynes); 3rds lost to Cambs South 0-2; 4ths beat Kettering 2-1 (Lucy Sly, Helen Preston); 5ths beat St Neots 3-2 (Lianne Jones 3).
Other Wisbech results.
Men: 1sts lost to Cambs Nomads 1-2; 2nds drew with Cambridge 2-2 (Ben Allen 2); 3rds lost to St Ives 1-4 (Elliott Peck); 4ths lost to Kettering 0-11;
Ladies: 2nds lost to St Neots 1-4 (Lily Cooper); 3rds lost to Ely 0-1; 4ths lost to St Ives 0-4.