HOCKEY: Swindon lose 100 per cent record (From This Is Wiltshire)

SWINDON’S perfect start to the Premiership season in the Davis Wood Hockey League came to a juddering halt as they suffered a late 2-1 defeat to Whitchurch.

The Isambard-based side were set for a point heading into the final 30 seconds of Saturday’s match, only for Whitchurch to grab the winner.

Missing Lewis Dyer and John Scrase, Swindon were off the pace at the start and had a narrow escape when a cross into the area came off the post.

Fortunately, the striker put his follow-up straight at keeper Alan Gough, who managed to clear.

Although Swindon began to create chances, the Cardiff outfit took the lead against the run of play late in the half, when the ball was scrambled home.

In the second period the hosts were a different team and despite wave after wave of attacks, they were struggling to make the breakthrough.

However, with less than 10 minutes on the clock, Adam Farag finally levelled from close range.

Sensing a winner was possible, Swindon pressed hard but this proved their downfall as the forwards lost possession and Whitchurch broke quickly.

With the home defence stretched, the cross into the Swindon area was met with a first-time strike that arrowed into the top corner.

Meanwhile, North Wilts made it three wins from three in East Central 1 with an 8-0 thrashing of Marlborough B.

The result allowed the Dorcan side to maintain their position at the top of the league and took their scoring record to 21 unanswered goals in three matches.

The most complete goal of the game was the first. Shaun Montague played the ball inside from the flank and Chris Blow fired a first-time pass across to Cameron Young.

Good movement from Max Bartholomew opened up a gap for Young to crash the ball into Darren Hillier, and the latter teed up Bartholomew who finished in style.

Alex Green expertly deflected home a quickly-taken free hit from Bartholomew, before Bartholomew despatched an audacious horizontal drag flick past the advancing keeper.

The dynamic Dominic Ellis then picked up his first of the game prior to half time and after the break the onslaught continued.

Midfielder Jim Towers netted the fifth following good work from Ellis down the right, and man of the match Hillier played a key role in setting up Ellis for his second.

Towers played in Ellis in for his second hat-trick in as many weeks, before Green flicked beyond the despairing keeper from another short corner.

Elsewhere, Wootton Bassett are still without a win in Central 2 after they were defeated 2-1 at Marlborough A.