Bishop’s Stortford fourth team beat fifth team 5-1 in inter-club derby in East Women’s Hockey League
Bishop’s Stortford’s fourth team got the better of the fifth team 5-1 in their inter-club derby tussle in East Women’s Hockey League, Division 3SW on Saturday (January 18).
Lois Wright and Liv Brierly both bagged braces and Amelia Leach was also on target for the fourths.
The first team drew for the first time this season as they were held to a 1-1 home draw by Cambridge City II in the Premier Division.
The table-toppers’ lead at the summit has been cut to five points following wins for both Harleston Magpies II and Upminster.
The contest was dominated by defence, with excellent performances for the hosts at the back from Olivia Locke and Lexie Guthrie.
The hosts were baffled when the umpires awarded a penalty flick to the visitors and felt justice was done when goalkeeper Ibby Welldon produced a good save.
Welldon made some more crucial stops after the break and the game became more stretched as the clock ticked down.
Stortford picked up a green card for back chat and they got through the two-minute period with a numerical disadvantage professionally, but the visitors went ahead with a scrappy goal five minutes from time.
However, the hosts kept going and Sally Powell scored a brilliant equaliser by controlling Liv Smerdon’s aerial pass and finding the top corner with a reverse-stick strike.
It also ended 1-1 when the second team visited their Old Loughtonians counterparts in Division 1S.
The visitors were unfortunate to trail at the break, but they levelled matters when Nicky Bareham converted Fiona Mulder’s great ball across the D.
Player-of-the-match Beth Moore made some fine interceptions to enable the away side to launch numerous counter-attacks.
A 1-1 draw was also secured by the third team when they made the short trip to Saffron Walden II in 2SW.
A hat-trick for Freya Rantell proved to be in vain as the sixth team suffered a 4-3 home defeat to Romford in 3SE.
Sophia Vasey was named player of the match on her debut as the seventh team were unlucky to lose 1-0 against Saffron Walden IV in 5SW.
She got the nod for her hard work in midfield as the hosts, who had the majority of the attacking play and hit the post late on, finished empty-handed.
Esmee Woods bagged a brace and Tilly-May Herbert also scored to earn the eighth team a 3-1 away victory over Saffron Walden V in 6SW.
In 7SW, the ninth team triumphed 3-2 at Welwyn Garden City IV and Jane Deans got a consolation goal as the 10th team (development) lost 2-1 to Berkhamsted & Hemel Hempstead in a game they should have won.
In the East Men’s League, Jamie Brooks got a hat-trick as the first team scored four goals in the last 15 minutes to come from 5-2 down to win 6-5 at Letchworth in the Premier Division.
The second team beat Letchworth II 5-0 at home in 2SW, while, in the same division, the third team lost 3-0 at Shefford & Sandy.
There was a 4-2 home victory for the fourth team over Shefford & Sandy II in 4SW.
There were two goals apiece for Collin Sharp and James Nash as the fifth team triumphed 4-1 at Welwyn Garden City II in 5SW.
And the sixth team ran out 5-1 home winners against Letchworth V in 6SW.
Meanwhile, the men’s over-35s beat Milton Keynes 4-0 and the women’s over-45s saw off Norwich City 1-0 in their respective Masters Cup games.