It’s sweet and sour for hockey girls

OLDHAM hockey first team beat the club’s second string 8-0 to boost their promotion hopes – and plunge their club-mates into deeper relegation trouble.

Bearing in mind what was at stake in this Greater Manchester Hockey League Division One encounter, it was no surprise that the players started in tense fashion.

The firsts struggled to find their form in the opening half and it was the seconds who applied early pressure.

However, the tide began to turn and second-team goalkeeper and player-of-the-match Jen Green was on fire to keep out a series of shots.

But she was powerless to prevent the opening goal when a Karen Rowley strike took a deflection.

The first team came out all guns blazing in the second half and the goals started to flow.

Rowley made it 2-0 when she converted a Rachael Johnson pass, Louise Howard weaved through the defence to score the third and Rebecca Blair converted a Howard cross from the far post.

Player-of-the-match Yvonne Jackson scored the fifth goal with a beautiful flick over Green, then Jackson slipped the ball to Rowley to complete her hat-trick.

Howard made it 7-0, and the eighth and final goal for the firsts came courtesy of the prolific Rowley.

Victory keeps the first team top at the top of the division with only a handful of games left.

But the seconds have fallen into a relegation place for the first time this season and need to turn things around quickly in order to preserve their Division One status.