HOCKEY: Ipswich East Suffolk 1 Crostyx 6IPSWICH East Suffolk must be beginning to wonder when their next point is going to arrive.Six successive defeats has seen them plunge to one from bottom of the Printwize East League's Premier Division A and the strain is already showing.

By Martin White

Ipswich East Suffolk 1 Crostyx 6

IPSWICH East Suffolk must be beginning to wonder when their next point is going to arrive.

Six successive defeats has seen them plunge to one from bottom of the Printwize East League's Premier Division A and the strain is already showing.

In their defence, they were beaten by a more powerful, more aware and slicker outfit, many of whom have tasted life in the English Hockey League and are eager to return after too long away.

On paper, IES arguably have their strongest squad for some time but something is not going right, although on this occasion their lack of effort cannot be called into question.

They can also be commended for promoting their younger players, but pace and exuberance is no substitute for experience as the teenage duo of Tim Caston and Ian Swallow found to their cost.

At right defender, Swallow was given the runaround by the constant interchanging of Nick Duck and Rowan Healey, while up front, Caston only once got away from the attentions of Russell Pirie before being unceremoniously dumped on the ground.

The early warning signs provided by Duck and Simon Worrell were not heeded and it was no real surprise when the former fed Neil Lofthouse who scored with ease.

To their credit, IES battled away and two minutes from half-time they equalised when an audacious piece of skill by the impressive Gavin Cole gave Will Fulker the simple task of scoring.

It all went pear-shaped for the home side within seven minutes of the restart as Duck, Dean Richardson and Worrell scored what must be regarded as soft goals to effectively end the contest.

Matt Walker and Matt Gardner tried their hardest in midfield with Cole always a willing option, but rarely were more than three passes strung together and consequently the advantage was handed back to the opposition.

With 13 minutes left, Duck and Worrell exchanged pleasantries in the IES circle before the former claimed his second of the game and with barely 60 seconds left, Lofthouse rounded things off after a mistake by Gardner.

Crostyx had exacted revenge for the cup defeat inflicted on them by IES last month, but winning the league is their aim, while survival must now be the number one priority for the Rushmere-based side.