HOCKEY: One of the favourites, Stourport, under-achieved at the two-day DTZ Invitation Indoor Tournament, finishing a disappointing 10th.

The event, staged at Kidderminster's Forest Glades Leisure Centre and Cocks Moors Woods in Birmingham, was played in a four league of four format.

Stourport started off well on the Saturday with an easy 4-0 beating of Welsh champions Newport at the Glades and could afford a missed penalty stroke from Ian Roberts.

The Wyre Forest men lost their crunch fixture against National League rivals Beeston 5-4 but then rallied to defeat Hull 5-3.

Stourport were pushed into third in the table on goals scored after finishing level on points and goal difference with Beeston and Hull.

They were forced into the eighth to 12th place play-offs at Cocks Moors Woods on the Sunday.

In a superb match against Londoners Southgate, Stourport amazingly bounced back from a 6-0 deficit to win 8-7.

But they were forced into 10th position by losing their last match of the tournament against Barford Tigers 8-5.

With the event acting as a warm-up for the more serious games to come, key player Phil Lashford's hand injury may keep him sidelined for several weeks.

Old Halesonians 4 Stourport 4ths 2

Most of Stourport's fixtures were victims of the bad weather but the fourths contested a first friendly of the year.

Imran Yousaf stepped down from the firsts to hammer both Stourport's goals as they applied plenty of territorial pressure.

Old Hales closely marked forward Andy Watson though and scored first through a short-corner move.

Yousaf equalised within five minutes of the second half from a short corner after Watson's shot, set up by Dave Bedford, was blocked by a foot.

But Stourport were twice caught out with goals on the break, including from a mix-up by keeper Ben Frizzel who mistakenly tackled his own player.

Harry Willets looked dangerous on the right wing with several useful crosses but it was left to Yousaf to fire home the second from a short corner.

Stourport Ladies 2nds 2

Bromsgrove 0

Much-changed Stourport failed to make the most of their chances but still ended with the upper hand.

Keeper Sarah Cranton was only called into rushing out of the D to clear first-half threats, while the home side could not force home a series of short corners.

They were determined in the second half with sweeper Julia Hopkins and Alison Austin blocking the visitors.

Fran Long opened the scoring midway through the half and Stourport put the match out of reach 10 minutes from the end.

Austin crossed from the left for Melissa Kennedy to touch the ball home before Cranton denied Bromsgrove by saving with her out-stretched stick.

The ladies firsts return to action on Saturday with a friendly at Bromsgrove.

League fixtures resume on January 25 with all three Stourport teams near the top of their divisions.

Stourport thirds' weekend fixture was cancelled by opponents, Cannock fourths.