WILMSLOW Hockey Club men’s first team followed up their opening day win against Urmston with a tightly fought 4-3 victory at home against Newcastle University at Oakwood Farm.
Wilmslow started brightly and went ahead early on when Pete Hallinan cleverly lifted the ball into the corner after a flowing move down the left hand side led by man-of-the-match Simon Swatland.
Newcastle grew into the game and had a great chance to equalise but missed a penalty stroke which went well wide of the goal.
Wilmslow also couldn’t convert a penalty stroke after the Newcastle goalkeeper took out Hallinan when clean through.
The hosts were punished for this when Newcastle equalised on the counter.
Joe Booth put Wilmslow back in the lead with the last action of a disjointed first half from a penalty corner from which he slipped the ball in at the near post.
Wilmslow started the second half sharper than their opponents and twice extended their lead when David Boddy popped up at the back post in quick succession to score a quickfire double and keep Newcastle on the back foot.
Newcastle scored two in reply after sloppy Wilmslow defending but the men in orange held on for a second successive victory to maintain their good start to the season.
Wilmslow's seconds had a 3-3 draw at Triton, while the promoted thirds lost a close encounter with Warrington by a single goal and the men's fourths lost to a skilful Alderley sixths side.
The women's team drew with Lindum at Lincoln.
They have now picked up four points from their first two games in the North Division.
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