It was a big double weekend for Bolton Hockey Club’s men’s second team in North West Men’s Division Six East with a home game against fourth-placed South Manchester, followed by a Sunday fixture away against league leaders City of Manchester.

South Manchester seconds visited in good form and had been a tough opponent earlier in the season in the reverse fixture.

Bolton, however, had dominated every game they had played, even if they had not been the most proficient.

The game shot to life when a through ball caught the Bolton defence sleeping and the South Manchester striker raced away to open the scoring.

Bolton recovered from the early shock and the game took a familiar pattern. They had all the possession, but struggled to break down a well-marshalled defence and were behind at the break.

In the second half, it was a similar story - South Manchester barely leaving their half but keeping Bolton out.

It went from bad to worse, as with only their second attack of the game, the Bees extended their lead, a hint of an illegal foot deflecting the ball into the net.

Bolton did finally get back into the game through a fine solo effort from Max Frost, who finally found some space to dribble between defenders to get one back.

But it was not enough, as they fell to their first loss of the season.- It was a great performance, but an unfortunate result.

Sunday gave them a chance straight away to get back in the title hunt against a City of Manchester side that had lost for the first-time the previous week.

A seesaw first half saw City of Manchester take a quick 2-0 lead, only for Bolton to hit back. Fine work down the wing saw a ball cut back, and after Kyle Hatch’s shot was blocked, the rebound was lifted into the net by debutant Nathan Watts.

Bolton then were level before half time; a routine short-corner routine despatched by Stuart Wallace.

Much like Saturday’s game, Bolton had all the possession and the best chances, but their inability to finish was costing them.

Twice players had tap-ins to take the lead but swung and missed.

Some selfish play was costing Bolton, as players stopped passing, and City took advantage and went back into the lead, before a moment of bad-tempered behaviour saw Bolton reduced to 10 for a period.

City of Manchester were soon 4-2 to the good, and despite Bolton’s best efforts, they could not get back into it.

It was a disappointing performance and terrible result.

However, despite leaving the weekend pointless, the men’s seconds remain second in the league, and still in prime position for promotion.

In the weekend’s other games for the club teams, the women’s firsts lost 3-0 at home to Liverpool Sefton seconds inNorth West Women’s Division Two South, leaving them in 10th.

The women’s seconds also lost at home, 4-0 to an inspired Didsbury Greys seconds in North West Women’s Division Four East.

This followed the previous week’s 5-1 loss to Didsbury Northern fifths, Jess Flegg with Bolton’s goal in that defeat.

The women’s seconds remain in trouble in the relegation zone, in 11th.

The men’s firsts lost 3-0 at Bowdon thirds in North West Men’s Division Three South.

They are still comfortable in a mid-table sixth spot, but hopes of promotion may have slipped away.

The big success of last weekend came in North West Men’s Division Six East where the men’s thirds picked up three vital points in their relegation six-pointer with Bowdon sevenths.

Two goals from Richard Moore, a brace for Lee Moffit and one each for Sam Murphy, Daniel Parsonson and captain Phil Morgan put smiles on the team’s faces as they climbed to eighth.