First win for Magpies

After a draw and a defeat, Harleston Magpies’ first team picked up their maiden win of the new East Men’s League Premier A season.

Despite dominating most of the first half against visiting Letchworth, Magpies had just one goal to show for all of their pressure.

However, they made it count after the restart, firing in four further goals to round off a 5-0 victory.

With Leigh Sitch and Ben Gowing back in the side, Harleston were camped in Letchworth territory from the start.

Their solitary first-half goal came courtesy of Dave Gilbert, who stepped up to convert a penalty flick.

Gilbert got his name on the scoresheet again in the second half, but not before James Gray had helped himself to a brace, one of which was a penalty flick.

Pete Bale also got in on the act, smashing into the far corner to round off a positive day for the team.

The win, which has moved Magpies up to seventh, will have boosted the confidence levels ahead of tomorrow’s home derby encounter against Ipswich (1.30pm).

Ipswich have started the season in relatively good form, winning two of their three games to sit fourth.

* Meanwhile, in the Investec Women’s Hockey League Conference East, Harleston Magpies I lost by the odd goal in seven at home against Wimbledon.

The game started at a high intensity set by Wimbledon, which Magpies struggled to adjust to, and within the opening 15 minutes the hosts found themselves two goals behind.

However, after that Magpies started to settle into the game and after winning a few short corners, one was converted when Emma Lee-Smith, struck from the top of the D and Lara Taylor made sure it was going in on the post.

This gave the home team the belief that they could get something out of the game and they continued to attack.

With this came more short corners and after Lee-Smith struck another ball, it took a deflection off a Wimbledon player and beat the goalkeeper to level the scores at 2-2 going into half-time.

Both sides mounted a series of attacks in the second half, with Magpies getting the next goal to open up a 3-2 lead.

A long ball forward found Lauren Rowe on the baseline and she managed to get the better of the visiting ‘keeper with her reverse stick.

But, just when it seemed Magpies had done enough to secure the come-from-behind victory, they shipped two goals from short corners and subsequently slumped to a defeat.

The team will look to bounce back tomorrow when they head to a so far winless Southgate (1pm).