Demery hat-trick ends Southgate's unbeaten run as Marlow reach quarters

Marlow scorers (from top to bottom) Berty Demery, Ollie Blundy and Toby Wingrove.

Pictures courtesy of @IFSportsImages

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Bertie Demery scored a hat-trick as Marlow Boys’ u18s trampled on Southgate’s unbeaten record this season to book their place in the quarter finals of the England Hockey Cup.

Following in the footsteps of their girls team the previous weekend, Marlow claimed an unexpectedly comfortable 5-1 win over a club who’ve historically been one of the giants of English hockey.

Having overcome local sides Wycombe and Maidenhead in previous rounds, the competition was expected to ramp up with the visit of Southgate for this final 16 clash.

However, in front of a large and enthusiastic crowd at Pound Lane, Marlow ran out convincing winners.

The hosts were swiftly out of the blocks, scoring their first with a rasping reverse stick strike in the opening minutes. The Reds then slid in to convert their second at the far post after a slick, passing move in the 10th minute.

Southgate were stung into a response and pulled a goal back from a well-rehearsed penalty corner routine, but Marlow managed to restore their two-goal cushion not long afterwards with another well-taken goal.

With twin junior internationals Ollie Blundy and Noah Gilmour marshalling Marlow’s defence calmly they carried that lead through to half-time and then managed to build on it in the third quarter, going 4-1 in front with a backboard breaker of a penalty corner strike from Demery.

It was a goal which cemented Marlow’s win and place in the quarterfinals and though attention wandered late on, when the hosts found themselves down to nine players after a couple of sinbins, they held firm defensively. They managed to negotiate the fourth period without alarm and rounded off the tie nicely with a fifth goal late on. Bertie Demery was the side’s stand out performer on the day, registering a hat-trick while their other goals came from Ollie Blundy and Toby Wingrove.

Marlow march on to the final eight and having taken Southgate’s scalp, will be seen as contenders to go all the way in this competition.