NE14 Hockey East LeaguePremier ACambridge Uni 3 Harleston Magpies 5 HARLESTON travelled down to Cambridge for their toughest test on the road so far this season.

NE14 Hockey East League

Premier A

Cambridge Uni 3

Harleston Magpies 5

HARLESTON travelled down to Cambridge for their toughest test on the road so far this season. Cambrdige dropped out of the National League last year but had suffered an unsteady start to their league campaign. Buoyed by confidence following last weekend' emphatic victory over local rivals Ipswich Harleston surprisingly started the game sluggish. The team struggled to maintain possession of the ball, the team would have found themselves a goal down had Richard Harms not reacted superbly making a fine double save to keep the scores level. Harleston however soon found themselves a goal down following a free hit from around the circle was turned in by Cambridge forward.

Going behind for the first time in the season spurred Harleston in to life, David Ming was able to draw the Cambridge team forward with his pin point passing, with Cambridge stepping high gaps started to appear in their defence. After a flowing move which earned the team a short corner Harleston found the equaliser when Andy Hipwell rolled the ball down the centre of the goal. The second soon followed after a flowing move down the right was converted by the experienced Neil Toulson when his cross cum shot was turned in by a Cambridge defender after deflecting off the keeper.

The Cambridge defence started to creak now as Harleston piled on the pressure, again after interchanging passes through the middle Gill found Baynes at the top of the D who forced a save from the Cambridge keeper, the rebound fell though to Chris 'the poacher' Barber who finished from close range. Harleston were not done yet though, the team broke from the back where Andy Hipwell was found at the top right of the D when he fired across goal to find a sprawling Richard Ling at the back post who managed to turn the ball goalwards. Just before the break Cambridge did manage to pull a goal back from a well worked move.

With the team 4-2 up at half time the job may have seemed done but Cambridge came out fighting pressuring Harleston high up the pitch, after sustaining long periods of pressure Harleston gained some composure and were able to start hitting Cambridge on the break. James Wheeler was unable to convert his one on one chances due to a lack of early preparation. Harleston did manage to grab that fifth goal when Andy Hipwell ploughed his way through the middle of the D before calmly slipping the ball past the advancing keeper. Cambridge did manage to pull one goal back from a short corner but it was too little too late as Harleston saw out the remaining minute with out problems.

This win maintains the 100 per cent record at the start of the season and the team welcome Cambridge City to Weybread next weekend.