Bishop’s Stortford lose 3-1 at home to leaders Chelmsford in East Men’s Hockey League, Premier Division

Rich Heywood had a penalty stroke saved as Bishop’s Stortford lost 3-1 at home to East Men’s League, Premier Division leaders Chelmsford.

The hosts started well, but the unbeaten visitors took the lead from a short corner after good defending by Harry Carpenter and Oliver Plummer had kept them out.

Stortford continued to apply pressure as they searched for an equaliser, but a clinical reverse shot doubled the table-toppers’ advantage before half time.

The home team had a chance to reduce the arrears when Jack Wheaton forced a penalty stroke, only for the goalkeeper to thwart Heywood with a great save.

Determined to make up for his miss, Heywood went on a trademark run through the defence and set up Jon Taylor to halve the deficit.

But the visitors wrapped up the win from a set piece after Wheaton had been carded and was off the pitch for two minutes.

Goals from Tom Nash, Ossie Bannister and Oli Leonard could not prevent the second team going down 4-3 at Shefford & Sandy in 2SW.

In the same division, the third team lost 4-0 at home to Luton Town.

There was better fortune for the fourth team as they triumphed 7-0 at Stevenage III in 5SW while, in the same division, the fifth team drew 4-4 with Luton Town II.

Louis Wardrop and Gethin Lewis shared the player-of-the-match honours when the sixth team drew 0-0 at Potters Bar IV in 7SW.

They were solid at the back and helped the side preserve their clean sheet.

The seventh team (development) were 2-1 winners when they entertained MBDA in 8SW.