OLTON & West Warwicks’ first teams slipped to defeats away to University of Durham on Saturday.
The ladies were in action first in an Investec Division One North clash and started brightly, taking the lead on 17 minutes from a penalty corner that was swept into the net by Sally Walton.
Momentum switched in the second half as the students hit back, equalising on 53 minutes from a penalty corner of their own, before going in front 11 minutes later from the same set-piece.
Olton were reduced to ten players late in the match, prior to a goal from open play that killed off their hopes of rescuing a point.
The ladies are fourth and get set for another away trip to seventh-placed Gloucester on Saturday (12.30pm).
Olton men then took to the pitch against the Division One North leaders, but found themselves chasing shadows during their 7-1 defeat.
Two goals from Durham in the opening 20 minutes settled the hosts down after an encouraging start by Olton, followed by a third on the stroke of half-time to increase the difficulty of the task at hand.
Olton then shipped two quickfire goals from open play after the restart to condemn them to defeat, but did at least register on the scoresheet through Chris Beck’s strike from a penalty corner.
The hosts replied with two further goals to round off their victory, in what was one of Olton’s biggest defeats in recent years.
Olton are sixth and host second-bottom Sheffield Hallam on Saturday (1.30pm).
THE DERBY between visitors Solihull Blossomfield and Olton 3rds went the way of the hosts in an enthralling West Midlands Premier encounter.
Bloss started the brighter of the two sides but fell behind to two early goals from Olton and in chasing the game found themselves 4-0 behind at the break.
A better performance followed in the second half despite conceding two more goals, with Aamer Chaudhry and Cameron Mowat reducing the arrears to finish the game at 6-2.
In South West One, Bloss’ second XI were edged out by Harborne 4ths by a single goal in a close-fought encounter, although a superb stop by Darren Mansell denied the scoreline from being worse for Solihull.
Solihull’s ladies remain bottom of Midlands Division One despite taking a point in a 2-2 draw at home to Telford & Wrekin.
A well-worked move led to the opening goal that Bloss had deserved, prior to a lapse in concentration that levelled up the scores before the break.
Bloss then regained their lead in the second half but were ultimately denied by yet another defensive error that snatched away Solihull’s chances of a first win of the season.
A late controversial goal in a 1-0 defeat to Coventry & North Warwicks leaves Bloss’ second XI sitting bottom of Division One of the Warwickshire Women’s Hockey League.
The ladies’ second XI are also yet to earn a win so far.
In Division Four, Bloss’ 3rds stay top of the table with their eighth win in as many games – a slender 1-0 win over Warwick 4ths. Ellie Feldon’s goal inside the opening ten minutes decided the contest.
