WISBECH Town Hockey Club men’s III beat the weather - and Ely City II - to enjoy a derby-winning return to action after the Christmas break.

Wisbech beat Ely 3-2 at a bitterly cold Harecroft Road while freezing conditions put paid to a host of other fixtures across Fenland.

Sam Darlow and Hugo Atkins gave the hosts a two-goal lead but Ely pulled one back before the break.

However, Atkins scrambled home his second, and Wisbech’s third, after the interval to slow the visitors’ fightback.

Wisbech defended well to secure the victory after Ely bagged a late second.

• LONG Sutton ladies’ first team slipped to second in Division Two North-West following a 2-2 draw with Cambridge Nomads.

A stirring two-goal fightback, thanks to strikes from Robyn Gribble and Charlene Leuty, earned Sutton a point. They sit one point behind Cambridge University II. The club’s men’s II hammered St Neots II 6-1.

• MARLY Lawson put Wisbech ladies’ II in front against Spalding but it wasn’t enough to stop her side losing 2-1. Katie Dunn was Wisbech’s player of the match. The club’s ladies’ III lost 4-0 at City of Peterborough IV.

• BRAD Apted, Gavin Johnstone, Aaron Cobb, Dan Martell and Sam Blunt scored as Wisbech men’s first team thumped Cambridge University II 5-1.

• ALL of March Town’s matches fell foul of the weather.