BCS Panthers sent shivers through the hockey community last Sunday, knocking off men?s league leaders Chameleons 2-0 at the National Sports Centre to extend their winning streak to four matches.

With three of their regulars returning to university, Panthers summoned future stars Donovan Simmons, Benjamin Sheere, John Lake and Lawrence Doughty and all filled the vacancies admirably.

The game started at a hectic pace with both teams being jittery in defence though neither could capitalise on each other?s errors. The league?s leading scorer Steve Morton had the ball in the back of the net for the Chameleons from their first short corner but his goal was disallowed after the umpire spotted an infringement in the circle.

Panthers gained increasing possession and finally reaped reward from it when a goal-bound shot was stopped by a Chameleons defender with his feet. Last season?s topscorer Matthew Spencer coolly converted the resulting penalty to put his team ahead 1-0.

The second half saw Chameleons playing with greater intensity in midfield. They worked hard and successfully to close down Panthers? playmakers. The latter continued to play possession hockey whenever they gained control of the ball and their young guns Doughty and Lake proved capable of holding their own against more experienced opposition with deft touches and intelligent passing and movement.

Ultimately, Panthers sealed victory with a clinical Simon Farrington strike; the scorer converting a meteoric pass from Mark Ray in midfield high into the Chameleons net despite the Reds? protests for dangerous play. Goalkeeper Kevin Hill ? returning to action for Panthers ? made a late, impressive save from Morton to complete a shut-out.

?Today we were missing a few senior players and needed our juniors to step up. They were fantastic and worked hard to keep their concentration throughout the entire match,? said Panthers captain Stephen Troake.

?They?ve improved leaps and bounds over the past few months and are now recognising their roles in our system of play.?

His opposite number Pete Illston felt his team had been unlucky to come away empty-handed from the match, noting the turning point was having Morton?s first-half goal disallowed.

Meanwhile Upstarts claimed a 1-0 win over Police Polecats, displaying solid defence for their second straight league triumph.

With regular goalkeeper Mark Foster unavailable, Jani Lahti patrolled the goal and, with the help of Phil McRoberts, Rob Hargadon and Mark Norman, formed an impenetrable wall that starved their opponent?s forward line of scoring chances in the first half.

Steve Ludgate, Keir Savage & John Uprichard marshalled the Upstarts midfield, neutralising Polecats with timely tackles and constant pressure. The deciding goal in this contest was scored in the first five minutes when Neil Carroll?s short corner from the top of the circle powered past Polecats keeper Craig Burt.

Police were denied a late opportunity to share the points when their leading scorer, Nigel Deane was adjudged to be inside the minimum playing distance for a free hit outside the Upstart circle. Despite feverish protests from Police, the final whistle was blown and with it Polecats? final chance at equalising.

The result propels Upstarts to a share of the league lead with Chameleons.

In the Ladies A League, Ravens defeated Canaries 6-2. Caroline Black continued her fine form by scoring four penalty corners with two strikes in each half. The Ravens? penalty corner unit has consistently been the strongest in all leagues this season and has been responsible for more than half of their goals this season. In another A League fixture, Swallows overcame Swifts by a single goal.

In the Ladies B League, Cardinals downed Orioles 2-1. Heidi Lynam scored first for the losers before Lesley Smith and Helen Marshall put Cardinals ahead for good before the half. Meanwhile, Ravens and Canaries fought to a 3-3 draw in a thrilling match.

An early goal from Maya Beckles on the post gave Canaries the start they desired but Ravens responded with three goals and held a two-goal cushion with less than 15 minutes remaining. Canaries stuck to their task and their pressure paid off with Sophie Kerr converting a short corner in the 60th minute to set up a tense finish. The Canaries? comeback was completed thanks to a late Sheona Griffiths goal.

Swifts and Swallows also played to a stalemate, scoring a goal apiece.