Hockey: Old Loughts women earn first league win of season

With the ball moving slowly on a heavily soaked pitch, Loughts managed to adapt quickly to the conditions and play some excellent flowing hockey in the first quarter.

Two minutes into the second quarter they were awarded a penalty corner and Georgia Davies saw her fierce drive deflected home by an East London defender.

Chances came and went for Loughts to extend their lead as Maddy Newlyn and Katie Gleeson both went close.

But in the final quarter another penalty corner secured three points as India Blake expertly deflected the ball into the roof of the net to make it 2-0.

Chloe Joarder took player of the match honours after playing in an unfamiliar left wing-back position as captain Tash Patient drove Loughts forward throughout.

The W2s started well at St Albans 3s as Chloe Stack scored after just 14 minutes, which turned out to be the only goal of the match.

Cerys Edwards scored the goal of the match for the W3s at Witham as her cracker ricocheted off the left post, but Loughts ultimately lost 5-1 to first-team opposition.

The W4s had a comfortable 4-1 home win over Bishop’s Stortford 6s as the W5s drew 2-2 at Maldon 3s with goals from Shelly Springer and Keira Keogh.

The men’s first team had a long journey west to Devon for their Division One South fixture against Exeter University.

The hosts converted from a penalty corner after only four minutes and, with few chances for both teams, it looked as if penalty corners might well make the difference on the day.

Loughts were unable to convert their chances but Exeter scored a second from another corner as it ended 2-0 to the students.

The M2s travelled to Saffron Walden 1s in pouring rain, with Will Smith, Jamie Askam and Josh Beardwell solid at the back and Elliott Smith, Gabriel Inch and Max Kempe creative in midfield.

Sadly Loughts lost possession too often in the forward line and their only goal in a 3-1 defeat came from a short corner deflected in by Askam from an Inch drag flick.

The M3s had an inspired 3-2 win against Bury St Edmunds 1s, but the M4s lost narrowly 5-4 against Waltham Forest 2s.

The M5s Willows made the trip to the Curzal to play Old Southendian 3s and lost 2-0, but the M6s could not field a team and conceded their match to Saffron Walden 4s.

The M7s Willows Rangers won 6-2 against Waltham Forest 5s but the M8s development team lost 5-0 to Redbridge & Ilford 3s.

Loughts U-14 boys beat their Upminster rivals 8-0 in a one-sided contest on Sunday.