Hockey Felixstowe 2 Ely City 3 THE City of Ely s push for back-to-back promotions received a timely boost on Saturday as they secured a 3-2 win over league leaders Felixstowe. Felixstowe have been in irresistible form all season and have already secured

Hockey

Felixstowe 2

Ely City 3

THE City of Ely's push for back-to-back promotions received a timely boost on Saturday as they secured a 3-2 win over league leaders Felixstowe.

Felixstowe have been in irresistible form all season and have already secured promotion to Division 1 but Chris Purllant's men proved unshakeable throughout the match and held off a late onslaught from the home side to claim a vital win.

Ely remain in fourth place in Division 2NW with just three points separating them and second-place March Town.

Ely started well and moved the ball around the midfield with ease causing constant trouble to home side. The re-arranged midfield of Jolley, Abbas, Radcliffe and Bullock soon managed to pick holes in the Felixstowe defence and create chances for Holden and Hugo in attack. Ely opened the scoring from a short corner after a fierce shot by skipper Purllant, was deflected into the net over the stranded Felixstowe keeper.

Ely continued to trouble the Felixstowe defence in the second half using slick passing and fortune again favoured the Ely team as a short corner dragflick by Purllant, which would have passed just outside the post, hit a defender and deflected into the Felixstowe net.

The home side rallied and won a contentious penalty stroke which was finished easily past Neil Dodsworth in the Ely net. Shortly after, Dodsworth fouled a Felixstowe forward but made amends as he saved the resultant second penalty stroke to maintain a slim lead for Ely. A breakaway by Matt Holden and Tommy Hugo in the Ely attack then allowed Holden to finish with ease and extend the lead for the visitors. Felixstowe pulled a goal back towards the end of the game through a well worked short corner but Ely managed to dig deep and take all the points from this bruising encounter.