A TIGHT AFFAIR ENDS ALL SQUARE
Broxbourne W1s 2 Old Loughtonians W1s 2
Old Loughtonians Women’s 1s produced an excellent comeback from two goals down to claim a well deserved point from their trip to Broxbourne W1s.
Loughts started well and created a number of opportunities in the first quarter of the game with India Blake, Tash Patient and Adele Sammons driving them forward. Two goals in two minutes then turned the game on its head as Broxbourne won a penalty corner which was deflected high into the net off a Loughts stick. Broxbourne then capitalized on this breakthrough against the run of play and made it 2-0 on 26 minutes leaving Loughts shell shocked.
Old Loughts rallied and with 5 minutes of the half remaining were awarded a penalty stroke when Broxbourne stopped a goal bound effort illegally on the line. Up stepped captain Tash Patient who coolly dispatched the stroke into the corner.
Coach Miranda Baldwin, who, given illness and injuries in the back line, stepped in to play an unfamiliar cameo role at full back with Beth Macgregor, gave a half time rallying call to her troops.
Within two minutes of the restart her call was answered as Tash Patient set up Emily Holmes to draw Loughts level with a deft touch from close range.
The game became fractious as both teams pushed for a winner with green cards becoming the order of the day. Katie Gleeson almost won the game for Loughts late on as she skipped confidently through the Broxbourne defence before firing just wide. The draw sees Loughts fall to second in the league as Cambridge University takeover at the top on goal difference. The ladies have a week off next week before their final game of 2022 at Upminster on the 17th December
The women’s 2s played exceptionally well to beat Ipswich & Suffolk 1s. Cerys Edwards, Rachel Paddon, Laura Oglesby and Kayuki Sen scored in a 4-1 win. The women’s 3s also had a fine 4-1 win in their match away at Beehive Lane against Chelmsford 4s. The win leaves them as one of 5 teams on 19 points at the top of the division. The women’s 4s thrashed Witham 2s by an 8-2 margin. The women’s 5s however suffered a 0-7 defeat against so far undefeated league leaders Bishops Stortford Acolytes. .

With the England Hockey league turning to indoor hockey the men’s 1s were not in action. The men’s 2s faced Saffron Walden 1s and came away 5-2 winners after an impressive display with 2 goals from Matt Lewis, 1 goal each from Archie Crowley, Martyn Lear and Jack Moffat and two exceptional saves from Finn Sayers in the Loughts goal.

A depleted men’s 3s lost 0-8 to Hertford 1s having beaten them at home with a full strength side. The injuries and absentees continued to frustrate Loughts with the men’s 4s losing 0-2 to Basildon 1s, men’s 5s losing 0-1 to Witham 4s and 0-0 draws between the men’s 6s and Maldon 2s and the men’s 7s and Chelmsford 7s. The men’s 8s lost 2-6 to Tower Hamlets 2s. The Supervets were away against Chelmsford and drew 2-2.