Havering 1 Ipswich II 2

Premier A

Havering 1 Ipswich II 2

A moment of brilliance from returning skipper Geoff Reed saw Ipswich II beat Havering.

Ipswich did not play their usual fluent hockey and, in the first 20 minutes of this game, were under the cosh to a very well drilled Havering side who welcomed back their South African international from injury.

Despite the pressure, the Ipswich defence consisting of Tony Burch, Underwood, Andy Swindin, James Wrinch and Paul Calver played very well as a unit, with the back four soaking up all the pressure and protecting Burch well.

When called upon Burch made three very good saves from back stick efforts from the South African Leon.

With Havering enjoying a good spell, Underwood was luckily Ipswich's saving grace in a man of the match performance keeping Leon at arms length.

With the defence playing as well as they were it was down to the flair of Simon Miller to find a lovely cross field pass to Matt Walker in space at the top of the D.

Walker drove a fierce strike between keeper and defence and Andy Cook was on hand to sweep it in.

Havering pulled one back after the break when, following a good save from Burch, a Havering striker was on hand to put it in after sweeping it in off the pads.

Ipswich welcomed back skipper Geoff Reed, who after absence was relatively quiet and ineffective, but did provide a moment of brilliance to win a 50-50 in the middle of the park and get through another challenge to then slip a pass into Miller on the top left of the D, who coolly shot inside the near post to give Ipswich a win.

Ipswich face bottom club Harpenden to Henley Road on Saturday, losing Wrinch to the IIIs but welcoming Olly Woodgate back from vacation.