Hockey: Stratford's Men's A team takes Premier Challenge Trophy

Stratford hockey teams played determinedly over the weekend. Photo/ Unsplash

The Lloyd Gernhoefer Agriculture Contracting Stratford B Women played Te Kiri on Saturday.

Stratford played an impressive game, dominating procession throughout, unfortunately failing to get the ball to the back of the net.

A huge improvement was made in keeping the structure and width in attack and defence. The final score was 1-0 to Te Kiri.

Top-of-the-table New Plymouth Boys' High brought the Challenge Trophy to Stratford on Saturday afternoon.

With a goal in the first few minutes, they showed they weren't going to give it up easily.

Stratford's Brian Darth Funeral Service Men's A team responded with the best hockey seen this season.

Firstly, competing with the slick Boys High midfield, turning defence into attack and creating pressure. A goal from Leslie Longstaff levelled the scores.

Curtis Boyde from the top of the circle put Stratford ahead after 10 minutes. Then a defining point in the match, Leslie Longstaff with a fantastic chase from the ends of the earth earned a corner. Then he scored his second from the resulting corner.

The score was 3-1 to finish an amazing first quarter. The second and third quarters were intense, attack and counter-attack, but no goals.

Stratford's defence stood firm against an ever-increasing number of corners.

Defining moment No.2 had John Nield diving across behind keeper Liam McSweeney to clear yet another corner.

Boys' High eventually scored to bring the score to 3-2 but with only a minute to play, Stratford held on for the win and a hard-earned piece of silverware, the Premier Challenge Trophy.

Broadway Men played CMK Stratford Avon Men in a club tussle for the Championship Challenge trophy.

The first quarter had both teams wanting to be part of the play with the ball doing the hard yards until a stroke was awarded to Broadway and tidily put away by David Jackson.

The second quarter was just as intense, with Julian O'Sullivan slotting one in the net for Broadway to go up 2-0 by halftime.

Some beautiful passing up the field led Brayden Sharp to score. A few penalty corners started building up and Isa Butler-Mather managed to slam one straight into the bottom left-hand corner. Julian O'Sullivan popped another goal into the top of the net to finish off Broadways to win 5-0 and regain the Championship Men's Challenge trophy.

Alpha Sports Stratford Premier Women's team travelled to New Plymouth to face Northern United in a Challenge Shield match.

Northern put a poorly structured Stratford under pressure early with a fast-paced attack scoring two early goals.

The Stratford team had an impressive turnaround in the second half to hold Northern out and score. Final score was 2-1 to a deserving Northern, who also walked away with the Challenge Shield. A few things to work on, but a big improvement from the first-round 3-0 loss to Northern.

No games on Queen's Birthday Weekend.