Old Loughtonians women extended their winning streak to four games in the England Hockey Vitality Conference East with a comprehensive home success against Ipswich on Saturday.
Loughts dominated from the off, moved the ball sweetly around the park and were disappointed not to have converted one of a number of penalty corners in the first quarter to give them the lead their dominance warranted.
Katie Gleeson then came agonisingly close to slotting home the opener as the ball broke free to her inside the D.
But three minutes into the second quarter captain and player of the match Tash Patient calmly finished another opportunity created inside the Ipswich D to give Loughts the lead.
Ella Dowling then managed to get on the end of another penalty corner and her astute finish landed on the goal line but somehow spun away from the goal.
The second goal came five minutes after half time as Chloe Menear, who had already shaved the post twice with penalty corner strikes, found the back of the net thanks to a slight deflection from an Ipswich defender’s stick.
Loughts stepped off the pace a little in the final quarter and allowed Ipswich a few opportunities to reduce the deficit but the defence stood firm and recorded another clean sheet to secure the three points.
An outstanding team performance from Loughts saw them secure their second win of a double-header weekend at Teddington to send them up to third in the table.
Loughts made the perfect start on four minutes when a slick penalty corner routine saw Patient and Maddy Newlyn combine for Dowling to sweep the ball home.
It was 2-0 after 24 minutes as Newlyn found Emily Holmes in a central position inside the D and Holmes deftly deflected the ball high into the goal.
Teddington reduced the deficit four minutes before the break as a penalty corner strike was unluckily deflected past Phoebe Menear in the Loughts goal off a defender’s stick.
And the third quarter was a scrappy, stop-start affair after Loughts had to reshuffle their backline due to a head injury to Chloe Menear, before a Teddington player required treatment after being hit by a lifted ball.
Loughts stayed composed and player of the match Em Davies shone in midfield to help them take control of the fourth quarter, securing all three points with four minutes left.
Newlyn weaved her way down the right and smashed the ball across the face of goal where India Blake arrived at pace to apply a sublime finish to make it 3-1.
Loughts welcome London Wayfarers to Luxborough Lane on Satuday for what promises to be an exciting fixture as second play third.
The W2s lost 2-0 at league leaders St Alban's 2s while the W3s drew 1-1 away at Crostyx 2s.
The W4s lost 4-1 at Havering 2s and, in the top-of-the-table clash in Division 5SE, the W5s went down 3-1 against an Upminster 5s side yet to drop a point.
The Under-18 girls were in action on Sunday and won 3-2 against Dereham, while the Under-14 boys played a strong Bishop's Stortford side and lost 6-4.
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