Hockey: Havering men cut down Forest, as women strike late

Lonnie Yang made his first-team debut in goal in the absence of Andy Gaut, with captain Liam Appleyard, Adam Lumbers and Michael Hinton also missing.

Alex Lee, Luke Joslin and Sam Green, for his first appearance of the season, came into the side and the hosts began well.

Paul Dover saw a low shot saved, while Harry Andrews was foiled from short corners and Lee deflected wide.

Forest had an effort ruled out before Andrews, Paul Johnson and Alastair Lewis had shots blocked from another Havering corner before half-time.

And the visiting keeper made a diving save to keep out a drag flick from Andrews, before a well-worked moved on the right saw a first-time pass deflected past Yang at the other end.

Lee had a goal ruled out after Luke Joslin’s hit into the D was deemed dangerous, then saw a close-range effort saved from another corner.

But Havering levelled when Andrews saw his strike deflected in by Adam Willett.

And the hosts grabbed a winner when Johnson played in Andrews, who drove towards the D and found Hayden Joslin to tee up Lee by the penalty spot to push the ball into the bottom corner.

The seconds were edged out by Upminster threes by the odd goal in seven after a fiesty derby at Coopers.

After conceding early, Havering forced a string of short corners, with one leading to a penalty stroke when Matt Kennedy was impeded.

Kennedy converted from the spot to level and Havering took the lead early in the second half when Andy Greenhalgh fired home from the top of the D from a corner.

Upminster levelled from their own set-piece, with Paul Afteni beaten again soon after to make it 3-2.

But Greenhalgh converted a second penalty stroke for Havering after a host of corners, only for the home side to snatch a winner after an error from Taylor Ahmad.

Havering threes beat bottom club Witham fours for a second successive win.

Leo Yang pounced on a loose ball after a mistake in the home defence and, after he slipped in the D, James Willcocks swept home.

Witham had more possession before the interval, but Toby John and Richard Cast produced timely tackles as Lonnie Yang was rarely tested in goal.

The hosts did hit a post from a short corner and Havering capitalised on that let-off in the second half.

Eli Cook’s superb pass found James Downey in space and his mishit attempt at goal fell kindly for Willcocks to claim his second the game.

Martin John had an effort disallowed after more good play by Cook, before two players from each side received green cards following a melee.

But John made it 3-0 from a smooth short corner routine, before Cook saw a late attempt superbly saved.

Havering fours were without a game this week.

A fantastic second-half comeback earned Havering’s women a deserved 2-2 draw at Sudbury to lift them off the bottom of the table.

The hosts struck first with a far-post finish, but Havering went close as Katie Griggs fired just wide when a penalty corner was saved.

Bethan Isherwood was just off target in similar circumstances, while Emily Martin was denied by the Sudbury keeper after Charlotte Chamberlin’s excellent pass.

Tess Meehan was unlucky not to get a touch on a cross, before Sudbury countered to win a corner and convert to go 2-0 up.

And Martin was denied by another good save before half-time, after Meehan and Sue Harwood had combined to create the chance.

Defenders Alex Semon, Tilly Bunn, Bukki Olodo and Emilie Milloy held firm after the restart, while Lucy Bree made an excellent save from a penalty corner.

But Harwood, Griggs and Martin were all denied by the home keeper, before Olodo’s superb tackle and pass found Meehan to send Martin through and tee up Harwood to halve the deficit.

Bree kept out another Sudbury corner, before Griggs put Chamberlin’s cross just wide.

But Havering got their reward with just 30 seconds left when a quick free hit by Chamberlin found Martin to set Harwood away and she committed the keeper before finding Isherwood at the far post.

The seconds were edged out by a solitary Old Southendian goal, while the thirds conceded late in each half to lose 2-0 to their Brentwood counterparts.

But the fours claimed a 2-0 win in a return meeting in Brentwood, played in torrential rain, as Abigail Dickinson and player of the match Mahmoona Shah struck either side of the break.