CUP action once again took centre stage for local hockey, with action taking place across four separate cups.
In the Ladies Senior Cup, JTC RWB shut out Walkers Caesarean Dragons 2-0, behind goals from Neve Macken and Harley Little.
There were also a pair of games that took place in the Ladies Minor Cup, both of which saw convincing wins.
Affinity Nomads 2nd XI put six unanswered goals past PS Quackers 2nd XI.
Harley Little’s hat-trick stole the show, while Scarlett Kinnaird was at the double and Hannah Rigby was also on target.
Meanwhile, JLHC 2s crushed Walkers Puffins 8-0.
Bea Thorogood and Scarlette Haynes both scored twice, while Maggie Gomersall, Estelle Le Monnier, Freya Thorogood and Lucy Kirby rounded off a brilliant win for JLHC 2s.
On the men’s side in the Men’s Senior Cup, an enthralling contest between unbeaten Rathbones OV Convicts and Affinity JHC Leopards ensued, with the former edging a 3-2 victory.
Both teams were fielding understrength sides and Leopards were the early beneficiaries of any unfamiliarity, starting the match brighter.
Early attacks from Leopards led to a series of penalty corners and while one led to a good high save from Andy Brown in the Convicts goal from a Nick Pearce drag flick, Pearce then deceived Brown with a slower finish at his next attempt.
Convicts sustained further pressure while Peter Millar was serving a yellow card suspension, before growing into the match to dominate possession, albeit mostly in defensive areas without causing too much threat. The score remained 1-0 in Leopards favour at half-time.
Convicts took the game to Leopards in the second-half and were soon level.
After sustained pressure, Rhys Thomas fired towards goal and past Tyler Mcglinchey for the equaliser. The game remained very even, until Jake Le Boutillier received a green card and Leopards went a man down for two minutes.
During this period, Convicts were able to find space and Millar’s crashed ball into the circle was deflected into the goal off the underside of the crossbar by Phil Cuming.
Convicts were able to quickly increase their lead to 3-1 when Millar scored from a penalty corner.
With ten minutes to play, Convicts slowed the game down and allowed Leopards to chase the match, but they did manage to claw a goal back and cause a tense final few minutes.
Ben Heelis sent a reverse hit into the circle and Nick Pearce deflected past Brown for his second, but Convicts clung on for a 3-2 win.
It was far more comfortable for Crusaders, who coasted past Hautlieu 4-0.
Mark Boarer traded rugby for hockey for the weekend to bury a hat-trick, with Tom Millar also on the scoresheet.
In the Men’s Minor Cup a trio of fixtures took place.
Hunters were in action twice and won both.
On the weekend, they defeated VC 2nd XI 6-3, behind singles from Olly Van Klaveren, James Grogan, Trystan Colley, Lucas McAllister, Josh Winstanley and John Corfe.
They would then come back on Monday for a 4-2 win over OV Victoriana.
Van Klaveren grabbed a double, with Winstanley and Simon Le Fevre also netting.
Sunny Reid and Merriam Carter were the scorers for Victoriana.
Meanwhile, in a fixture that counted as both a league game and cup game, Affinity JHC Lions ran riot 8-0 against VC Colts.
Matt Clegg scored a hat-trick, with braces from both Sascha Benson Cooper and Richard Laignel, with Jake Le Boutillier also on target.
League action returns this weekend at Les Quennevais.
