Colchester 6 Ipswich & East Suffolk 1

NE14Hockey East Men's League

Division One

Colchester 6 Ipswich & East Suffolk 1

COLCHESTER were comfortable winners at home to Ipswich & East Suffolk.

With confidence high in the team Colchester opted to play an attacking formation and push for goals from the start. After some good possession it was Helen Barnes who got the opener, dribbling past three players in the D and powering past the keeper. Within five minutes Colchester had got their second with Kirsty Barber driving down the right and pushing the ball across the D. The IES keeper was unable to clear the ball and Barnes was on hand to tap in from close range. With the home side dominating possession in midfield IES looked vulnerable at the back and after some neat passing from left to right Barnes was put through and completed a first half hat trick in style.

The second half started as the first had ended with Colchester dominating possession and looking comfortable in defence. The fourth goal came from some excellent individual play by Karen Harris who drove to the back line and with the defence picking up players for the pull back, Harris slipped the ball past the keeper at the near post.

Colchester were now beginning to enjoy themselves and scored a fifth courtesy of a big hit into the D by Naomi Allen with Louise Bibby on hand to trick the keeper and reverse the ball into the back of the goal. IES did manage to pull one back after Colchester gave away a penalty corner, but the lead was soon extended to 6-1 with Barnes getting her fourth of the game after a long ball from the back found her in space to finish neatly past the keeper.

With one game left before the Christmas break Colchester remain unbeaten and full of confidence.