SALISBURY’S two-season excursion in South League Hampshire/Surrey Regional Division 2 hockey is over.
A 4-2 defeat by the Bank of England at Roehampton confirmed their long threatened relegation, writes Mike Vimpany.
Salisbury had flirted with demotion all season and now the realisation of a return to the Hampshire League next autumn has kicked in. Not that stand-in skipper Rory McTaggart was overly despondent.
“Fielding a very young side, featuring five under 18s who all impressed greatly at Roehampton is a big positive to take from our final Regional Division game,” he said.
“Up-and-coming talent emerging in the Bemerton vaults makes for an exciting season next year.”
Needing to win to stand any chance at all of wriggling clear of the relegation zone, Salisbury began on an encouraging note.
McTaggart opened the scoring, beating two Bankers at the top of the D and slotting it past the goalkeeper for his eighth strike in the last four games.
Alas, Salisbury's bright start wasn't to last.
Bank worked their way back into proceedings and spent the remainder of the first half encamped in the Salisbury half and changed round 3-1 up.
Despite being without hitman James Hayward, who spent the day cricket training, Salisbury clawed a goal back when McTaggart played in Hector Lyons for his first goal of the season.
Salisbury gave it their best shot, but the Bank of England grabbed a fourth goal and ended Salisbury's survival fight in the process.
Salisbury Men's second team sealed promotion from Hampshire Division 3 with a game to spare after smashing seven goals past Swanage and Wareham. The goal scorers were Dom Welman, Nick Tomalin, Tyler Ringwood- Hoare (2), Leigh Wood (2) and Will Garston.
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