Colchester 2 Harleston Magpies 0

NE14HOCKEY East League Division 1N

Colchester 2 Harleston Magpies 0

Colchester moved up to joint second place with a steady home win over Harleston on Saturday.

Colchester made heavy work of the first half with plenty of possession but poor passing resulted in continued recovery work to win the ball back.

Neither side managed to create any clear-cut opportunities, so it was no surprise when half time came with the score still at 0-0.

The second half saw an increased urgency in Colchester's play, but they still found it difficult to break down the Harleston defence and a resilient keeper.

The deadlock was finally broken after the home side were awarded a short corner. The ball was switched right to Karen Harris who drove to the back line before pushing the ball across the goal for an unmarked Anna-Marie Bradley to slot in from close range.

The home side's relief was visible and, with time running out, the result was sealed. Colchester captain Lucy Struth picked up the ball from outside the 'D' and dribbled around three players before powering her shot into the far corner to give Colchester a 2-0 win.