HOCKEY: Stourport stunted the progress of form side Belper on Sunday with a 2-2 away draw in National League Division One but were only denied the victory by controversial umpiring.

With initial fixtures against the top five teams out of the way, Stourport can now look with optimism to the final four games in the first half of the season.

They started brightly at the weekend with Luke Edwards earning early short corners and Imran Yousaf forcing good early saves from the home keeper.

Belper enjoyed most of the possession as Stourport attempted to launch counter-attacks when they did win the ball.

The strategy paid dividends in the 16th minute with another goal for Phil Lashford who unleashed a reverse-stick strike from the left-hand side of the D in off the far post.

Lashford had been sent through by Irfan Yousaf who was fed by Mark Moss' interception and pass.

Stourport remained organised and disciplined to restrict Belper to few efforts on goal and they then landed another sucker punch.

Imran Yousaf stepped up to convert a 30th-minute short corner after hitting the post with a previous effort to take them into a 2-0 interval lead.

Belper's lively attack led an onslaught on the home team in the second period though the defence, led by Owen Brotherton and Senior, remained resilient.

Only a debatable umpire decision, awarding a penalty stroke against Senior for apparently using the wrong end of his stick, gave Belper their first goal through Craig Keegan on 41 minutes.

Both sides received undeserved yellow cards in the second half as Belper pressed hard for an equaliser.

It eventually arrived when the umpire again controversially ruled the luckless Senior to have used his foot and Keegan levelled from a short corner in the last minute.

Stourport 2nds 1 Coventry 1

Nick Chambers scored a deserved equaliser for Stourport who were disappointed to only get a point from a hard-fought clash.

The seconds had most of the possession and territory but conceded an early goal when the visitors broke after the umpire turned over a decision.

Coventry tried to defend their lead as Stourport failed to convert chances and short corners until Chambers' strike.

He ran in behind the last man to round the keeper and level after a defender missed an aerial ball.

West Bridgford 2 Stourport 3rds 6

Stourport made light work of Nottingham opposition with David Knott crashing five goals and Ben Everett-Li a single strike.

Stourport 4ths 6 Beeston 0

The fourths eased to victory to maintain their title charge with only sloppy finishing preventing a bigger scoreline.

Stourport fifths had to settle for a draw, while the town were stretched to put out three more sides on Sunday to honour fixtures with the university sides.

Stourport 3rds 3 Birmingham University 2

Knott did the damage in attack with support from Mark McKinnon and Steve Li.

The students opened the scoring on five minutes but Stourport's midfield gained control to open up a 3-1 lead.

As legs tired, the students counter attacked but were denied by the excellent Kit Parnell.

They did score another from a controversial short corner but Stourport ensured all three points.

Stourport Veterans 6 Redditch 1

The veterans made light work of youthful opposition with their superior ball retention and passing proving decisive.

Knott left the goalkeeper flat-footed to put Stourport ahead but this spurred Redditch on to equalise in their best spell of the game from a well-worked free hit.

Neil Stone and Paul Taylor gave good service from midfield to Knott who found plenty of space to run onto.

Knott converted from the edge of the circle and Taylor made the interval score 3-1 after latching onto Chris Sollom's pass.

Stone rounded off an impressive display with two goals in the second half, driving home from the right-hand edge of the circle.

Taylor completed the scoring, while Frank Colwill and Mike Taylor defended comfortably.

Fixture, Saturday: Stourport 1sts v Doncaster (12.30pm).