East Premier League B Harpenden 3 Ipswich 1 Harpenden firsts hosted Ipswich in their first Premier B East League game of 2010 with the all weather astro pitch only just passed playable 24 hours before push back . Prior to the start of the match, captai

East Premier League B

Harpenden 3 Ipswich 1

Harpenden firsts hosted Ipswich in their first Premier B East League game of 2010 with the all weather astro pitch only just passed playable 24 hours before push back .

Prior to the start of the match, captain Bunbury in a customary direct team talk demanded that his players ignore a myriad of ready-made excuses for dropped points and concentrate on a return to winning ways.

The match commenced surrounded by a thick barrier of recently cleared snow and it was soon requested by the League umpires that the white ball was replaced by an orange one.

The opening stages were very even and despite early Harpenden attacks it was Ipswich that opened the scoring with a decent reverse hit strike from James Wrinch from the top of the D.

Harps have been showing more character of late and came back defiantly.

Shortly before half time Harps drew level as Russell Timms pounced and finished calmly at the far post following a disjointed short corner routine.

Harps soon started to dominate after the break with Man of the Match Dan Burgess orchestrating a wave of attacks down the right hand flank.

However it was a well struck hit direct into the D that found Paul Wise who managed to deflect the ball past the Ipswich 'keeper for Harps to take a deserved lead.

Harps looked very comfortable for the remainder of the game and when an accurate Alastair Hutsons cross found Wise for his second goal of the match, the home win was beyond doubt.

Skipper Bunbury commented: "I'm really chuffed with the result we were missing a couple of key midfield players today and whilst we have done a fair bit of team fitness over the break there has been no astro practice whatsoever due to the big freeze.

"It's my first hockey match as a Dad and it will be nice going home and telling my little baby daughter that we won today."

Harps play Cambridge City next week away in what promises to be a considerably tougher match.