HOCKEY

Crostyx 11
Shefford and Sandy 0
(NE14 HOCKEY East Div 1) CROSTYX men secured the East Division One title in style on Saturday with a fantastic performance against Shefford and Sandy.

Four strikes from prolific marksman Gareth Ingram, braces for Nick Duck and Wayne Bishop and a goal apiece for Demi Vassiliou, Ian Dunnett and James Duck capped a fine display of fast, passing hockey.

The contest had barely begun when the hosts found an early goal.

A diagonal ball into the area saw Demi Vassiliou neatly flick the ball up into the net at the near post, with the keeper committed.

It was 2-0 shortly afterwards as a trademark dragflick from a short corner from Ingram left the keeper with no chance.

The goals kept coming as Nick Duck swept in at the back post from a Ross Hopkins pass and then Ingram doubled his tally as runs from both wingers opened up the defence and allowed a strong finish from the top of the circle.

Dunnett got in on the act at the second time of asking to make it five.

A mazy run in from the right by Nick Duck saw an audacious piece of skill as he dummied a pull back from the by-line and committed the keeper, reverse-stick-flicking it high into the net.

Captain James Duck notched the seventh before the half was out, receiving the ball on the penalty spot, swivelling his marker and placing the ball into the bottom corner.

Shefford showed more guile after the break and they managed to hold Styx at bay for more than ten minutes through some stunning point-blank saves from the keeper, twice from Ingram and once from a deflected Dunnett shot.

Some brave defensive charges to block short corner efforts also kept Crostyx quiet.

But Bishop ventured forward from sweeper to get the ball rolling again, jinking past a defender and finding the bottom corner with a precise finish.

Shefford did call Neal Lofthouse into action on one occasion when a breakaway led to a one-on-one situation, but the stopper was quick off his line and smothered the effort to earn the side's eighth clean sheet in the league.

Crostyx found their rhythm again and made it nine as Ingram was cynically stick-tackled from behind in the area and awarded a penalty stroke which he duly dispatched into the top corner, sending the keeper the wrong way to complete his ninth league hat-trick.

Double figures seemed inevitable for Crostyx for the first time this season, and they duly notched up a tenth, Bishop making a late run and skilfully turning in a waist-high deflected cross from the Dunnett.

The scoring was completed by Ingram following the best passage of the game.

A flowing move released Hopkins down the right wing, who cut in and provided a cross for a simple finish by Ingram at the back post - it was his forty-second league goal of the campaign.

Crostyx are back in action on Saturday for the final game of the season at Saffron Walden.

Meanwhile, the seconds beat Waltham Forest 2s 1-0, and the thirds comfortably disposed of East London 4s 10-0.

Both sides have a good chance of securing promotion - from Division Five and Ten respectively - on the final weekend of the season.

Crostyx: Lofthouse, Parsons, Julian, Bishop, Dunnett, J Duck, McKay, D Vassiliou, N Duck, Hopkins, Ingram. Sub: A Vassiliou.