Stratford Hockey Club men’s 1sts win promotion to the Midlands Premier League with a 5-1 victory over Beacon 1sts

Stratford men’s 1sts secured promotion to the Midlands Premier League with a commanding 5-1 victory over Beacon 1sts on Saturday.

Determined to avenge their earlier defeat to Beacon, Stratford put on a performance to remember in front of a passionate home crowd at the new KES pitch.

The match began in a cagey fashion, with both sides focusing on defensive structure and attacking down the flanks.

The breakthrough eventually came courtesy of Nathan Hill, who produced a stunning solo effort, dribbling past four Beacon defenders before calmly finishing into the far corner.

Stratford continued to push forward, with Hill rattling the crossbar from a short corner and Matt Davies narrowly missing out on converting several rebounds.

The second half saw Stratford continue their dominance. Beacon relied on direct long-ball play but struggled to create chances with Ben Lanoe, Tom Stokes, Tom Hollis and Tom Murray holding firm in defence. However, a momentary lapse allowed the visitors to equalise as they reacted quickest to a loose ball.

Sensing the urgency, coaches Craig McKee and Ajan Reginald rallied the team. It was once again Hill who dictated the midfield battle, setting up Sam Grigg, who kept his composure to restore Stratford’s lead.

With momentum now fully in Stratford’s favour, the floodgates opened. Within five minutes, Will Crowfoot converted a back-post finish to make it 3-1, breaking Beacon’s resistance. Further goals from James Gilchrist and captain Sam Fisher in the final stages put the result beyond doubt, sparking celebrations among players and fans alike.

The leadership team of McKee, Reginald and Fisher credited the promotion to a complete squad effort, acknowledging the hard work and commitment of every player. With their place in the Midlands Premier League secured, Stratford will now look to finish the season in style and cement their position as league champions.

A depleted men’s 4ths played out a tight, and at times scrappy, encounter against Edgbaston with the 1-1 draw a fair outcome.

Losing two members of the squad within 48 hours of the match, the team’s resources were stretched particularly thin. However, in contrast to the previous week’s physical encounter which accounted for two players missing with fractures, the fixture against Edgbaston was played in good spirit against an opposition who lived up to their club’s sporting reputation.

Stratford were able to open the scoring from a short corner when Rob Bowen did well to improvise from an off-target injection to pass the ball back to skipper David Price to turn home for a well-taken opener. However, Edgbaston equalised before half-time and set up a close second half.

With the reassuring presence of Tom Knight in the Stratford goal, the away side were able to deal with any counter-attacking opportunities. Stratford did have much the better chances to seal the win, particularly in the last 10 minutes. However, the home keeper pulled off a fine save inside the post from a short corner effort from Van Vegchel and then in the dying minutes Mark Reynolds’ pass from the top of the D picked out Price in a great position at the back post but the opportunity went agonisingly wide.

League leaders Loughborough Students 5ths confirmed their promotion with a clinical 4-0 victory over Stratford Ladies 1sts in an absorbing encounter.

The hosts started brightly, with Milly Vitty and Jade de Souza causing early problems, while Phillips marshalled a resolute defence against a quick forward line. Stratford’s early momentum was built on the midfield excellence of Mira Proctor and Jet Kendall, but their game plan was disrupted when Proctor was forced off with a finger injury midway through the first half.

Loughborough capitalised ruthlessly, striking twice in quick succession before the break despite Marianne Morrice’s heroics in goal. The hosts showed renewed vigour after half-time, with player-of-the-match Abi Juniper’s penetrating runs creating several promising opportunities.

A series of penalty corners followed, but Stratford could not find a way past the visitors’ organised defence. As superior fitness and technical skills began to tell, the away side added two more goals to spark jubilant celebrations from their travelling support.

Stratford’s midfield partnership of Kendall and Poppy Blackwall showed promise throughout, while Lucy Scarlett and Emily Capaldi worked tirelessly to create opportunities for Georgie Poulten and Freya Barnett up front. Despite the scoreline, there were plenty of positives for Stratford, who will look to bounce back in next week's derby against Warwick.