HOCKEY
IW 7, Fareham VI 1
IW MOVED to the top of Hampshire 5 with their sixth win in seven games at the expense of fourth-placed Fareham.
Despite the scoreline, the visitors did at times test the hosts and were somewhat unfortunate to be on the end of a heavy defeat.
IW started well and top scorer James Liddiard continued his excellent form, sweeping home close to the line. Despite a Fareham recovery, they doubled their lead through Simon Butler.
Home keeper Tom Butt produced two good saves from a short corner, before Liddiard grabbed his brace, sweeping home from the middle of the area just before half time.
The visitors began the second half very well, putting IW under a lengthy spell of early pressure and again forcing Butt into action, this time bringing three saves from the keeper including a great diving stick save.
However vice-captain Craig Bruce ensured any mini-revival was short lived, as he pounced on a defence error to smash home IW’s fourth.
Good work down the right from Jonny Kirby and Butler sent Richard Reynolds free, and his pass found Jack Nicolaou who pushed the ball past the keeper soon after.
Fareham did get a deserved goal back from a well worked short corner routine, and soon after Ollie Stubbings was sent to the sin bin for a deliberate foul. But this disruption didn’t affect IW, who went on to increase their lead through Colin Simmonds and Liddiard.
IW: Butt, Stubbings, Heaven-Gandy, Leggett, Allen, Reynolds, Simmonds, Liddiard, Gould, Nicolaou, Butler, Kirby, Bruce, Harris.
Poole Dolphins 1, IW II 5
Although not producing their best performance, IW II did enough to get a good win over Poole Dolphins and stay top of Hampshire 9.
A much-changed IW team, led by returning skipper Kevin Dean, made a bright start and took an early lead through Barry Lloyd.
They doubled their lead midway through the half, again through Lloyd, before making it three just before the break, when Tony Howsam’s strike from a short corner was deflected home by a Poole defender.
IW continued to dominate in the second half but they could not convert chances to more goals. Eventually though they did break through, when Thomas Young scored, before he set up Lloyd for his hat-trick.
Two minutes from the end, Poole converted a rare attack but this effort was cancelled quickly as IW scored the goal of the game, a great team effort which was converted by Lloyd at the end.
IW II: Speer; Pearson, Bartlett, Dickinson, Armour, Dean, Howsam, Cripps, Young, Wheeler, Lloyd. Sub: Sewell