3 goals equalled 3 points for Old Loughtonians Women’s 1s at home to previously unbeaten Bury St Edmunds on Saturday afternoon. For the second week running Loughts started fast and scored in the opening minutes with Chloe Menear smashing home their first penalty corner with a perfectly executed strike.

Loughts forward press continued to impress, with the front 5 not allowing Bury any time on the ball and producing multiple turnovers deep in the Bury half. However it took Loughts until 7 minutes into the second half to double their lead. Again it came from a powerfully struck penalty corner with Zara White sweeping the ball into the back board for her first goal of the season.

It was 3-0 with 17 minutes remaining as Chelsey Toms found Em Davies inside the D and her emphatic finish on reverse gave Loughts an unassailable lead. The win leaves Loughts in second place in the East Premier Division ahead of their trip to Norfolk to face Harleston Magpies Womens 2s next Saturday.

The women’s 2s were at home against local rivals Chelmsford 2s. Goals from Cressida Jamieson and Miranda Baldwin sealed a 2-0 win. The women’s 3s should have been playing Thurrock 2s but Thurrock conceded the points. The women’s 4s narrowly lost 1-0 to Southend 3s and the women’s 5s won 1-0 away against Romford 2s with another goal from Poppy Dias to keep them second in the league.

Dramatic last seconds goal not quite enough for Old Loughtonians.
Old Loughtonians M1s 3 – Southgate M1s 4

A goal in the dying seconds of this fiercely contested local derby was not quite enough for Loughts to gain any points in this top of the table clash in division 1 South of the England Hockey National League on Saturday against league leaders Southgate.
The team was staring down the barrel at half time with a three goal deficit and a mountain to climb after 3 clinical finishes from 3 of Southgate’s international strikers. GB striker Matt Ramshaw opened the scoring after a clever pass from Trinidad & Tobago player coach Kwan Browne. Chilean striker Jose Hurtado doubled the lead shortly afterwards and T & T striker Teague Marcano made it 3-0 after just 20 minutes. It was no surprise therefore that coach Lee Ible's half time team talk was more animated than usual. Loughts needed to mark better and trust each other with the ball; stay calm, focused and committed and above all retain clarity of purpose.

Loughts responded well and dominated the second half. Euan Gilmour pulled a goal back 4 minutes into the half only for Matt Ramshaw to smash in an unstoppable penalty corner soon afterwards only then for Loughts to reply with a well taken goal from Harvey Edwards. Southgate’s defending became disorganised and ill disciplined and they conceded a number of short corners which Loughts could not convert and a penalty flick which was well saved by Ollie Wickens in the Southgate goal. With Southgate reduced to ten men after a yellow card for Browne, Loughts piled on the pressure but could not score. In extra time Loughts were awarded a series of short corners and finally Harvey Edwards scored his second to make it 4-3 but it was too late. Although Loughts outplayed Southgate in the second half, the damage had been done earlier and Southgate remain unbeaten. Next Sunday Loughts and Southgate both take on university opposition with Loughts away at Bristol and Southgate at home to Bath.

The men’s 2s had a tough away fixture against Cambridge City 2s in the East premier league but came home with all three points after a 2-1 win. The men’s 3s enjoyed a comfortable 4-2 win against Colchester 1s which keeps them second in Division 1 South. The men’s 4s drew 4-4 with Witham 2s and the men’s 5s Willows drew 1-1 with Witham 3s with Harry Moffat scoring for Loughts. The men’s 6s Willows Woodsmen lost 4-0 to Waltham Forest 3s and the men’s 7s Willows Rangers stay second after a 1-0 win against Brentwood 5s with Kiran de Souza bagging the winner after 17 minutes. The men’s 8s Willows Axemen match was cancelled and the supervets lost 2-1 against Tulse Hill & Dulwich Musketeers.