Sport's habit of proving age is but a number carried on at St Neots Hockey Club - with the end of a 40-year goal drought.

Amanda Rout usually plays in goal but with the ladies' fourth team much depleted for their trip to Long Sutton she was ask to play outfield.

And it proved a tactical masterstroke as she got on the end of Marie Quintilla's ball into the D to score the only goal of the game - and her first in over four decades of hockey.

Elsewhere the club were hit by COVID-19 with several forced to isolate.

The Hunts Post: Skipper Emma Cody led St Neots' first-team to victory over UEA.Skipper Emma Cody led St Neots' first-team to victory over UEA. (Image: Tim Bettsworth)

With her coach and manager self-isolating, captain Emma Cody led the first-team to a 2-1 victory against the University of East Anglia.

She opened the scoring with a crisply-struck short-corner and then set-up the second from a similar set-piece, Kirsty McKenzie supplying the finish this time.

UEA did pull one back but Saints were on top as the game came to a close.

The Hunts Post: Vicki Dickinson, Emma Cody and Kirsty McKenzie plan their short corner routine for St Neots.Vicki Dickinson, Emma Cody and Kirsty McKenzie plan their short corner routine for St Neots. (Image: Tim Bettsworth)

The seconds lost 4-1 to Kettering with the only highlight being Mary Richardson's goal while the thirds suffered a rare defeat, going down 3-0 to Newmarket.

The men's firsts had to cancel their game with their St Ives counterparts altogether because of self-isolation.

However, the thirds won 3-0 against Bourne Deeping and the fourths came away from Wisbech with a 3-2 success.

St Ives' seconds probably wished their game was cancelled too as they lost 11-0 away to Long Sutton but there were good wins for the thirds and fourths.

The Hunts Post: St Neots' third team beat Kettering 4-1.St Neots' third team beat Kettering 4-1. (Image: Helen Rowland)

The thirds beat Kettering 4-1 with goals from Jacob Weir (two), Jon Wildin and Matt Jago while Richard Kellet and Myles Cullen were on target as the fourths beat Cambridge South 2-0.

The fifths lost 2-1 to City of Peterborough with Stephen Browne getting their only goal.

The ladies' section at St Ives had a tough day with only the fourths picking up a win.

They beat Wisbech Town 2-1 with Sophie Hewitt and Helen Kemp scoring but the firsts lost 2-0 to City of Peterborough, the seconds were thumped 13-0 by Saplding and the thirds went down 2-0 to Cambridge Nomads.