Hockey: Weekends to remember for Deeside Ramblers and Chester ladies teams

IT was a weekend to savour for the three Deeside Ramblers ladies teams.

A strong first-half showing ensured the firsts won 4-3 at home to Brooklands Poynton 2nds to move up to fourth in North Women’s League Division One.

Debbie Kay (2), Megan Stacpoole and Beth Alvey got the goals.

Ramblers Ladies 2nds were 1-0 winners at Brooklands 3rds thanks to an Ellie Crisp strike.

The final scoreline should have been more emphatic but the visitors – whose goalkeeper did not touch the ball – missed a string of presentable opportunities.

High-flying Ramblers Ladies 3rds had their shooting boots on as they stormed to an 11-1 success at home to Whitchurch 2nds.

The title-challenging Ramblers men’s first team, meanwhile, stretched their winning run in the North League Premier Division to five matches with a 6-2 victory at home to University of Durham 2nds.

The hosts moved the ball at such pace that their student opponents were out on their feet by the end.

Ali Ghazanfar scored from two short corners and added two further goals from open play while there was a vintage strike from Tom Armitage and a trademark solo effort from Ibrar Latif.

Ramblers 3rds lost a game they should have won 1-0 at Oxton 3rds.

Nick Worrall, David Cheshire, John Porter and Roy Gadger were among the goals as high-flying Ramblers 5ths ran out 5-1 winners at Wrexham Glyndwr 2nds.

The promotion-pushing Ramblers 6ths also won, 3-0 at Denbigh 2nds thanks to Colin Bona, Nick Fernell and Richard Yeoman.

After three straight draws, Chester returned to winning ways in North League Division Two (West) with a 6-3 success at home to fellow high flyers Stockport Bramhall on Saturday.

Steve Edmonds (2), Mark Crooks, Dave Hughes and Hugh Miller were on target for unbeaten Chester, who also benefited from an own goal.

Nia Hughes (3), Lauren Calvert (2), Laura Houlston (2), Jill Parkinson and Kate Wozniak did the damage as Chester Ladies powered to a 9-0 victory at Wigton which moved them within a point of the North Women’s League Premier Division summit.

Chester Ladies 2nds took over top spot in Cheshire Women’s League Division Two with a 2-0 triumph at Warrington given to them by Claire Gledhill (2).

Open play goals from Kate Huber and Rebecca Neary could not stop Chester Ladies 3rds – who play in the same division as the 2nds – from going down 3-2 at home to Alderley Edge 2nds.