East League Hockey – Premier B Division

Men’s 1st Team

Colchester 2 Ramgarhia 4

COLCHESTER men’s firsts are still searching for their first win this season after they were defeated but not disgraced in a home defeat to second-placed Ramgarhia on Saturday.

After earning a 3-3 draw away to Norwich City in the season’s opener last week, the hosts expected a tough test, but had keeper Aaron Sime to thank for keeping them in the game following a string of saves.

However, after the away side broke the deadlock, Rohan Khaira fired home an equaliser on the stroke of half-time with a fierce penalty corner strike.

But after the interval Ramgarhia showed their class and scored three unanswered goals before Mark Prince pulled one back in the dying embers with a deflected effort.

Meanwhile, Colchester’s second and fourth outfits also remain winless this season after they went down 4-0 and 4-2 respectively.

The second eleven lost away against East London and the fourth eleven were defeated at home to Saffron Walden fifths.

Elsewhere, it was much more encouraging for the third eleven as they made it two wins from two games, beating Witham seconds 4-3 at home.

Investec EHL Conference East

Women’s 1st Team

Ipswich 2 Oxford 0

SOUTH African Olympic goalkeeper Mariette Rix inspired Ipswich to their first win of the season with a comfortable home victory over Oxford Hawks on Saturday.

Rix, who played in every London 2012 match for her country as they finished 10th, showed her international class throughout as the hosts struck early to seal all three points.

Home debutant Emma Thornbury scored her first-ever National League goal after nine minutes to set the hosts on their way to their first win of the new campaign following last week’s opening-day away 3-2 loss to Horsham.

Vice- captain Charlie Anderson soon claimed her second goal of the this term before Rix pulled off a late string of impressive saves to protect Ipswich’s two-goal cushion.

Suffolk Premier League

Women’s 4th Team

Sudbury 2 Ipswich 5

JANE Cook scored twice in a starring role to send Ipswich fourths to the top of the table with a well-deserved away victory at Sudbury.

Cook and Vanessa Allen both struck in the opening 15 minutes before the team lost discipline and shape, allowing the hosts to pull one back.

But Cook notched up her second with a well-time flick, before Sudbury immediately struck again.

However, further strikes from Allen and Ellie Tennant secured maximum points in a much-improved second half performance.

Investec EHL Conference East

Women’s 1st Team

Chelmsford 3 Bromley and Beckenham 0

CHELMSFORD banished memories of last week’s drubbing with a confident showing against newly-promoted Bromley and Beckenham for their season’s first win.

Kat Hales, Becky McGuinness and Collette Ager all found the back of the net in a convincing home win, putting them now seventh in the table.

It was an opening day to forget away to St. Albans, being outgunned in a 6-2 defeat, but Hales swept home a penalty corner in the 25th minute before McGuinness’ superb long-range effort.

Ager pounced on a loose ball in the second-half to put Chelmsford out of sight as they held on strong and ran out comfortable winners.

East League Hockey – Premier A Division

Men’s 1st Team

Chelmsford 3 Wapping 1

TOM Fanger secured Chelmsford’s men first win of the season with a late strike after they overcame controversy over a disallowed goal in a hard-fought victory.

With the sides locked in a 1-1 stalemate in the second-half, the hosts thought they had retaken the lead with a penalty corner which flew into the roof of the net.

But a previously undetected hole apparently allowed the ball to shoot through and the umpires decided it was not sufficiently clear-cut to award the goal.

But soon after Simon Taylor and Fanger struck to give Chelmsford a deserved two-goal cushion. Earlier, Harry Rayner had opened the scoring before Wapping equalised before the interval.