HOCKEY: A BUMPER crowd watched Olton and Preston share the spoils following an eight-goal thriller in the Conference North which saw Martin Webb score all four goals for the home side.
Second placed Olton fancied their chances against a Preston side who have been climbing the table in recent weeks.
It was the visitors who took the lead with eight minutes gone from a penalty corner that was somewhat unexpected but served as a wake-up call to the expectant spectators.
Their lead only lasted nine minutes before Webb equalised and the same player made it 2-1 with two minutes to go until half-time.
Things had hardly settled on the terraces before Preston equalised on the stroke of half-time and with the score level at 2-2, there was all to play for in the second period.
Webb scored his hat trick in the 39th minute with a spectacular overhead strike that will be a contender for goal of the season, but Preston still would not lie down and they drew level yet again fourteen minutes later.
After another ten minutes of near misses for both sides, Webb popped up again scoring with seven minutes to go.
It was getting to be one of the most tense games of the season right on time the visitors were awarded a penalty corner and as the Olton spectators, bench and forward watched in horror as the ball hammered into the back board just inside the post.
This weekend Olton are at home against third-placed Bowden and a win will cement a second place finish, their best placing in the National League.
Elsewhere, Olton ladies travelled down to Southampton to play Trojans in an Investec Conference West game. The visitors were in good form having claimed seven points out of nine over the past two weeks but after 18 minutes it was the hosts who went ahead.
Two minutes Later Kate Brough equalised with a spectacular reverse stick shot and it remained 1-1 at the break.
The Trojans re-took the lead again four minutes into the second session but Olton hit back and within four minutes the scores were level after a Sally Walton goal.
Neither side seemed to be able to get the ball into the net to make sure of the points but that changed on the hour-mark when the home side scored two goals in as many minutes to inflict a 4-2 loss on Olton, who remain third ahead of this weekend’s trip to Swansea.
