By Suzy May

Gillingham Hockey Club kicked off the new year with a packed weekend of fixtures, featuring home matches for the Ladies’ 2s and 3s and the Men’s 1s, while the Men’s 2s travelled away for their first game of 2026.

The Men’s 2s, sitting second in their league, were favourites heading into their match against Basingstoke 5s, and they delivered in style. A dominant performance, highlighted by a superb hat-trick from Gary Stevens, secured a convincing 6-2 victory and a strong start to the second half of the season.

Back at home, the Ladies’ 2s faced a challenging test against league leaders Weymouth 1s. Gillingham started brightly and applied sustained pressure throughout the match. Weymouth capitalised on a penalty corner to take the lead and added a second after the break. Gillingham created several promising chances but were unable to convert, finishing with a hard‑fought 0-2 defeat.

The Ladies’ 3s also had a tough fixture against Shepton Mallet 2s. After a difficult first half in which Shepton took a 6-goal lead, the home side regrouped and produced a determined second‑half display, scoring twice and showing real resilience. The match ended 2-9, with plenty of positives to build on.

The final match of the weekend saw the Men’s 1s take on Winchester, with Gillingham eager to continue the momentum they had begun to build before Christmas. An unfortunate own goal shifted the early balance of the game towards Winchester, but the game quickly became an exciting end‑to‑end contest. Gillingham pressed hard and created opportunities, but the breakthrough goal remained elusive. Final score 0-4.

Gillingham Hockey Club prides itself on being a friendly, sociable, and competitive club with opportunities for players of all ages and abilities.

Anyone interested in joining the club or learning more about what is on offer, is warmly encouraged to get in touch with us via our socials on Facebook and Instagram or Steve Way on Stephen@sbway.co.uk.