STOURPORT Men first team finally broke their duck in the English Hockey League Conference West with a 2-1 victory over high-flying Birmingham University.

Having lost three and drawn one of their opening four fixtures, Stourport were boosted by the return of four key players.

Ali Raza fired the hosts into a second-minute lead when he converted Andrew Langlands’ penalty corner.

The hosts had to wait until after the break before they could stretch their lead as Phil Lashford put away Langlands deflection. The students did not give up and Peter Jackson pulled one back with a penalty stroke after keeper Ben Dudley was drawn into a foul. Birmingham continued to put pressure on Stourport and it needed some good work from Matt Fairburn and Dudley to keep them at bay and secure the first win of the campaign.

The women’s first team crashed to a 4-0 defeat at the hands of the Unversity of Birmingham seconds in Division One of the Midlands League. The visitors took a 2-0 lead into the break and they adding two more in the second-half.

Second-half goals from Caroline Sidell and Shelley Tromans gave the seconds a 2-0 victory at Dudley firsts in Midlands League Conference South. Player-of-the-match Molly Weaver had a shot blocked which Sidell was on hand to tuck away before skipper Tromans had her effort deflected home.

The thirds were too strong for Old Silhillians second team with a 2-0 victory, thanks to goals for Chloe Marshall-Walker and Rhiannon Linnington-Payne.