THE new year does not seem to have brought a change in fortunes for March Ladies II who are still rooted to the bottom of the Cambs Ladies Premier Division following a 3-0 home defeat to fellow strugglers Cambridge City III on Saturday. With no umpire at

THE new year does not seem to have brought a change in fortunes for March Ladies II who are still rooted to the bottom of the Cambs Ladies Premier Division following a 3-0 home defeat to fellow strugglers Cambridge City III on Saturday.

With no umpire at the match, March keeper Sue Heaver took control of the match and Amy Laws took her place in the home goal.

However Laws was unable to stop a determined City side from taking a 2-0 lead into the break.

The home side came out fighting for the second half but missed chances were to prove costly and Cambridge hit a late third to seal the win.

A superb hat-trick from Michelle Moden helped March Ladies III to a good win in Pool Two of the Cambs Ladies Division Two League Cup.

Saturday's 5-0 home win over Market Deeping III means that March could still reach the final, even if they lose their last pool game of the competition against Peterborough IV.

An early goal from skipper Jenny Palmer put March on the road to victory and it was 2-0 just 10 minutes into the match when Rachel Naughton hit the target.

The home side continued to push forward and Moden scored her first of the day from a penalty corner just before the break.

It was a similar story in the second half and two more goals from Moden gave the dominant March team a deserved win.

The weekend's other matches involving March Hockey Club teams were all friendly fixtures and they all served-up encouraging results.

March I thumped visitors Northampton Saints II 8-3, largely thanks to four goals from skipper Jody Betts.

The captain opened the scoring on 10 minutes before Matt Bamford doubled the lead soon after.

Betts made it 3-0 before he clinched a first half hat-trick with an unstoppable shot from a penalty corner.

A tap-in from Rob Mitchell gave March the best possible start to the second half but Saints finally broke through to open their account from the restart.

Mitchell's second of the match was greeted by another Northampton goal but March took their tally to eight with Betts' fourth of the match and Richard West's strike.

A late consolation for Saints did little to dampen March's high spirits.

March II also entertained Northampton opposition on Saturday and they edged a close encounter 4-3.

Saints' fourth team opened the scoring but goals from Adam Triggs and Nick King put March ahead before the visitors levelled the scores before the break.

Triggs' second was again cancelled out by a Saints goal but King was on target again and his goal proved to be the winner.

There was also a 4-3 victory for March IV, who entertained St Neots IV and once again, the result was always in the balance.

Saints' opening goal was wiped out by Andrew Wright before Jacob Fraser scored a fine individual goal to put March ahead.

The visitors were back on level terms before the break but the home team won the game with a good spell in the second half that resulted in goals for Ben Wright and Jordan Hilliard.

A goal for St Neots five minutes from time set-up a tense finish but March held on for the win.

March Ladies I went 1-0 down to home side Haverhill I in their friendly game at the weekend but came back strongly to win 5-1.

Emma Rawlinson scored a first half brace and further goals from Lauren Oakman and Cara Verlander put the visitors 4-1 up at half time.

There was only one more goal in the second half but Rawlinson's hat-trick strike rounded-off a good start to 2007 for the ladies' first team.