PREVIEW: In-form City of Peterborough in the thick of a title battle

While City were making it six wins out of seven with a 3-1 success at Dereham (November 5), leaders Old Loughtonians were conspiring to lose for the first time this season, after throwing away a 3-0 lead against Harleston.

City are now one of three teams on 21 points - St Albans and Old Loughts are the others - with goal difference keeping them in third place ahead of tomorrow’s (November 12) home game with an erratic Ipswich side at Bretton Gate (11.30am).

But it will be business as usual for City who are determined to focus on their own performance rather than worry about what others are doing.

City skipper Ross Booth said: “Ipswich have had mixed results so far so it’s difficult to know what to expect.

“But as usual our focus will be on executing our own style of hockey as well as we have in our recent games. We won’t then have to worry about what the opposition are up to.

“It was a bigger win than we thought at Dereham as Old Loughts lost, but if we keep winning our games the table will look after itself.

“The competition for places is really hotting up, especially as our second team are going so well.”

City seconds were held to a 1-1 home draw by Blueharts to lose top spot in the Premier B Division on goal difference to Spalding who thrashed Wisbech 8-3.

City of Peterborough thirds lost their big basement battle in Division One, 2-1 at Harleston seconds to remain bottom of the table without a win in eight matches. Matt Carson scored the City goal.

City of Peterborough Ladies should consolidate their fourth place position in East Division One North when they travel to lowly Norwich Dragons tomorrow. City toppled leaders Dereham last weekend.

City Ladies seconds had moved into a challenging position in Division Two North West on the back of three straight wins, but they lost a key clash 2-1 at Newmarket on Saturday.

Meg Petherick scored the City goal. Spalding lost top spot in the division after a 3-2 home defeat to Alford who are now in pole position, but two points cover the top six places.

There’s a derby game in the second round of the men’s English Hockey Trophy on Sunday (November 13) when Long Sutton host Bourne Deeping.

FIXTURES

Saturday, November 12

EAST LEAGUE

Men

Premier A Division: City of Peterborough v Ipswich.

Premier B Division: West Herts 2nds v City of Peterborough 2nds, Spalding v Havering, Waltham Forest v Wisbech.

Division One: Bourne Deeping v East London, City of Peterborough 3rds v Long Sutton.

Division Two North: Cambridge South v March.

Division Three North West: St Ives v Spalding 2nds, Long Sutton 2nds c Cambridge City 4ths, Spalding 3rds v Wisbech 2nds, Ely v Bourne Deeping 2nds.

Division Four North West: Bourne Deeping 3rds v Kettering, Wisbech 3rds v Cambridge City 5ths, City of Peterborough 5ths v City of Peterborough 6ths.

Division Five North West: City of Peterborough 7ths v Bourne Deeping 4ths, March 2nds v City of Peterborough 8ths.

Division Six North West (North): Bourne Deeping 5ths v Louth 2nds, Long Sutton 3rds v Spalding 4ths, Wisbech 4ths v Long Sutton 4ths, Spalding 5ths v Bourne Deeping 6ths.

Ladies

Premier Division: Wisbech v Bedford.

Division One North: Norwich Dragons 2nds v City of Peterborough.

Division Two North West: Wisbech 2nds v Spalding, Long Sutton v Cambridge City 3rds, City of Peterborough 2nds v Royston, St Neots v Bourne Deeping.

Division Three North West: Huntingdon v City of Peterborough 3rds, Spalding 2nds v Horncastle, Pelicans v Wisbech 3rds.

Division Four North West (North): Bourne Deeping 2nds v Spalding 3rds, City of Peterborough 4ths v Louth 2nds, March v Long Sutton 2nds, Spilsby v Bourne Deeping 3rds.

Sunday, November 13

Men

ENGLISH HOCKEY TROPHY

Second round: Long Sutton v Bourne Deeping.