MARLOW HC retained the Croxson Cup after holding off a spirited challenge from Wycombe in the annual match between the two clubs.

The Croxson Club has been the traditional curtain-raiser to the season since 1974, but Marlow have dominated the inter-town rivalry for a decade and that trend continued on Saturday.

This time it was decided between the aggregate score after four men’s matches and three women’s matches, and Marlow came out on top 14-10 overall to win the trophy for the fourth time in a row, and eighth in the last ten years.

It was the women who made the difference, with their first team winning 2-0 thanks to goals from debutants Lesley Hobley and Kerry Nixon.

Marlow Ladies 2s shared a 3-3 draw with their rivals from across the M40 with Sarah Augustine (2) and Kirsty Goldie-Brammer on target while the fourth team were too good for Wycombe in a 3-1 victory.

Margot Nicholls was in target with Treena Partridge netting twice.

That gave Marlow an 8-4 lead, and the men preserved that advantage with one win, one loss and two draws from the four matches.

Jon Elliot scored for Marlow 4s in their 1-1 draw, while Marlow 3s edged out Wycombe thanks to goals from new captain Chris Burnett, last season’s club top-scorer Rob Walls and Shay Given.

Elliott Killington and Chris Hulse netted in a dramatic 2-2 draw between Marlow 2s and Wycombe 2s, while the Cressex club had their only win on the day in the top match as their first team shaded Marlow 1-0.