The men’s 4ths were the only Royston Hockey Club side to finish the 2014/15 season on a high, thumping Blueharts 6ths 8-1. Nick Freeman scored four in the home rout.
The men’s first team ended an average season, where they finished mid-table, with a 3-1 defeat at Welwyn Garden City.
Nathan Sugden got the consolation for the visitors.
Royston 2nds lost 5-2 at home to Berkhamsted 2nds to finish in the bottom half of the table.
The 3rds rounded off a poor weekend for the men, losing 3-2 at Bishop’s Stortford 5ths.
In the ladies’ games, the first team lost 4-1 at St Albans 3rds. Lucy Richardson grabbed Royston’s solitary strike.
The 2nds were also beaten comfortably, this time 5-0 by top of the table Harpenden 2nds, despite a battling performance.
Helen Taylor and Olivia Greenaway scored the goals in the 3rds’ 4-2 home loss to Saffron Walden 6ths.
While the men’s 4ths had managed their superb 8-1 win at Blueharts, the ladies 4ths lost by the same scoreline at Rickmansworth 2nds.
Sarah Farmer supplied the only goal in the defeat.
On a brighter note, the club’s U12s reached the final of the In2Hockey U12 County Cup, hosted by Broxbourne Hockey Club.
Despite playing without a recognised keeper for the entire season, tournament rules meant a full-time keeper was required for the competition.
In good spirit, St Albans, Hertford, Blueharts and Potters Bar all loaned Royston a keeper for their pool games.
The absence of a regular keeper did not stop Royston finishing top of their pool with 11 points after 1-1 draws with Blueharts and St Albans and 2-1, 4-0 and 5-0 wins against West Herts, Hertford and Potters Bar respectively.
To avoid the prospect of controversy going into the day’s final two matches, Nathen Le May padded up for a goal-keeping debut in Royston’s semi-final clash against Broxbourne, who came through as Pool One runners-up.
A superb 2-0 win saw Royston advance to the final of the tournament.
Blueharts’ first XI were more than a match for their opponents in the final, winning comfortably.
Nevertheless, Royston will go onto the regional finals to represent Hertfordshire after their strong performance.
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