Saints Triumph

EHL Mens Premier A

St Albans 5 Blueharts 2

ST ALBANS men remain top of the league following a 5-2 victory over Hitchin Blueharts.

Things didn't start to well for the Saints with Blueharts taking the lead after 10 minutes.

The Blueharts striker followed up after an initial short corner shot was saved to unleash a fierce drag flick into the side netting.

With that lead Blueharts took charge of possession as St Albans seemed happy to allow the away team to pass the ball around the back, but Blueharts were unable to make their possession count.

And that allowed the Saints to equalise 10 minutes before half time when a strike was parried by the goalkeeper, only for the ball to fly off his stick and into the net.

Before long, St Albans had the lead when a quick free hit was squared across the D and placed into the unguarded goal.

After the break, Blueharts responded converting a penalty spot flick following a foul.

However, that goal brought about a turn in fortunes for the away side as indiscipline meant three players saw yellow, allowing St Albans to power away with three unanswered goals.

St Albans Ladies lost out 4-0 to Sevenoaks Ladies at Clarence Park on Sunday. Cathy Gilliat-Smith did the damage for the visitors scoring all four goals.

The Saints will be looking for a better result when they travel to Cambridge City this Saturday.

n After missing last week's game due to a waterlogged pitch, Harpenden I were keen to get back on track against Broxbourne HC. Despite missing three players Harps opened confidently in the early exchanges but against the run of play Broxbourne in their first attack of the game managed to break the deadlock.

Harps enjoyed a period of sustained pressure and from a quickly taken long corner Paul Wise found Dave Falk and the in-form midfielder scored from close range to restore parity.

Mike Emes then showed Harps I what they have been missing for the last 18 months with a powerful drag flick finding the back of the net from a short corner.

With his confidence now boosted and in only his second start since a serious shoulder injury he struck again from a short corner this time drilled low into the corner.

With a two-goal margin Harps then settled into a decent period of possession hockey.

But in what has been an inconsistent season to date; Harps lost concentration and focus towards the end of the game and poor defending resulted in Broxbourne netting twice to earn a draw.

Two goals from Fraser Tant weren't enough to stop Harpenden II from losing 6-2 to Shefford & Sandy.

Shefford scored early, a penalty flick being despatched past Harps stopper Matt Rasiah after the ball struck Paul Nash's foot in the goalmouth.

At 1-0 down, Harpenden began to play some decent hockey and they hit the equaliser when Tant fired home from a penalty corner.

With half an hour played, Harpenden would have been very content to hear the half time whistle go with the scores level.

However, mirroring the Stevenage game, two meekly surrendered goals just before the break took the wind from their sails.

Harps drove on searching for an equaliser that, on the balance of play, they genuinely deserved, but a three goal salvo midway through the half, coinciding with spells in the sin bin for Pete Kneale, Neil Lunn and Ben Turner, ensured that they would register their eighth successive defeat.