OLTON & West Warwick Hockey Clubs ladies first XI’s chances of promotion took a cruel blow at the weekend, in their penultimate home fixture of the season.
The ladies lost 4-2 to Swansea City in Investec Ladies Conference West, dropping from fourth to seventh in the process.
Spirits were high going into the game, and initially took the lead after Sally Walton’s penalty corner goal.
Swansea then struck twice in four minutes from open play to completely turn the game on its head, before going further behind seven minutes into the second-half from a penalty corner.
A fourth goal from the visitors effectively killed off any hope of a comeback, and despite Laura Collins scoring a second Olton goal, it would not be enough.
The result means that Olton must win their last fixture away to Exe to reclaim their automatic qualification hopes into the new Division 1.
Over in the Men’s Conference West, Olton were held to a 2-2 stalemate with Cardiff & Met.
Unlike the ladies, the men’s team went into the weekend’s game knowing that their place in Division 1 next season was sealed, but went into the away trip without two first-team players.
Olton broke through the Welsh defence thanks to Steve Batten’s strike from open play, before Peter Jackson doubled the lead shortly after.
However, a 63rd minute penalty corner resulted in the start of a comeback for the hosts, who levelled with the last hit of the game from another corner in the dying seconds.
Olton will see the result as two points dropped, but they remain third in the league, next hosting champions Havant on Sunday (2pm) at Grange Road.
A win can put them up to second, but defeat potentially drops them to as low as sixth in the table.
