South Berkshire Hockey matches at Cantley Park 1st November 2025

Open/Men's 3’s Lead the Way as Hockey Returns to Cantley Park

Hockey returned to Cantley Park with a bang after the half-term break, and it was South Berkshire’s Men’s 3rd XI who stole the show, earning the club’s result of the week in a dramatic seven-goal thriller against Wootton Wanderers.

In a clash between two of the top four sides in the league, the match had everything – fast starts, momentum swings, and moments of real quality. Wootton struck first inside just two minutes, when Lee Tozer pounced to give the visitors the early lead. Berkshire grew steadily into the contest and were rewarded midway through the first half when Robbie Grant finished smartly to level the scores.

The first half continued at a high tempo, and on the half-hour mark both sides traded blows again. Francis Langton restored Wootton’s advantage with a tidy finish, but Berkshire hit back immediately through Oliver Field to make it 2–2 at the interval.

The second half began in much the same fashion, with Wootton once again seizing the initiative three minutes after the restart, Tozer netting his second of the match. However, Grant refused to be outdone and produced another fine strike just two minutes later to draw the teams level for a third time. With both sides chasing a decisive goal, it was Gareth Menezes who stepped up for Berkshire, slotting home ten minutes later to seal a 4–3 victory and spark celebrations on the Cantley sidelines.

The win lifts South Berkshire above Wootton into third place in the league table, just three points off the top, and keeps their promotion hopes very much alive.

In the same division, South Berkshire’s 4th XI endured a tougher afternoon, falling to a 5–1 defeat away at Eastcote. Duncan Clake grabbed the lone goal for Berks, who remain eighth in the standings.

Back at Cantley Park, the Men’s 2nd XI battled to a hard-earned 1–1 draw against high-flying Amersham. Alex Sykes gave Berkshire a deserved lead shortly before half-time, but the visitors equalised through Stuart Robson in the second period. The valuable point moves Berkshire up to ninth place and continues a run of steady improvement.

Meanwhile, the Men’s 1st XI faced a daunting trip to league leaders and unbeaten Trojans at Eastleigh. Berkshire started brightly and looked composed in the opening exchanges, holding their own for much of the first ten minutes. However, as the rain began to fall, the game quickly turned against them. Trojans capitalised ruthlessly, scoring four goals in a devastating 15-minute spell before the break.

The second half offered little respite, with Trojans adding a fifth goal within two minutes of the restart. Berkshire’s miserable afternoon worsened as the home side struck twice in quick succession around the 50-minute mark, completing a commanding 7–0 win. Despite the heavy defeat, Berkshire remain fifth in the Premier League table and will look to regroup ahead of next weekend’s fixtures.

There was also disappointment for the Ladies’ 2nd XI, who suffered a 5–0 loss at home to Reading, a result that drops them to ninth in their league.

However, there was better news from Birch Hill, where the Ladies’ 3rd XI earned a well-deserved 2–0 victory over Maidenhead. Ellie Smith opened the scoring midway through the first half before Larna Gigg sealed the win on 45 minutes. The result lifts the team to eighth place.

The Ladies’ 4th XI fell to a 2–0 defeat away at Henley, slipping to seventh in their league, but there were positives to take from a spirited performance against a strong side.

Looking ahead, this weekend promises to be one of the busiest of the season at Cantley Park, with Hospital Radio Reading broadcasting live from 1.30 p.m. to capture the day’s action. The Ladies’ 3rd XI open proceedings against Newbury, followed by the Ladies’ 1st XI’s midday clash with Chichester. The Men’s 1st XI then take to the field against Bournemouth, before the Men’s 3rd XI face Eastcote at 3.00 p.m. The Men’s 5th XI round off the home programme with a 4.30 p.m. encounter against Wycombe.

Away from Cantley, the Men’s 4th XI travel to Buckingham for a 10.00 a.m. start, while the Ladies’ 5th XI visit Yateley at 10.30 a.m. The Men’s 2nd XI head to Newbury for an 11.00 a.m. fixture, and the Ladies’ 4th XI make the trip to Amersham for an 11.30 a.m. pushback. The Ladies’ 2nd XI take on Wootton at noon, the Men’s 6th XI meet Staines at 4.30 p.m., and the Men’s Over-60s are in action away at Epsom at 3.00 p.m.

With so much hockey taking place across the weekend, South Berkshire will be hoping to build on their mixed fortunes and produce another set of strong performances both at home and away.