Havering men's second teams beat Old Loughts fourths 2-0 to secure their first win of the season and boost their survival hopes at Campion.

They threatened early and some fantastic one-touch hockey saw their front three combine before Greg Carolan unselfishly teed up Bill Birbeck to score into an empty goal.

Carolan had a goal to his name soon after, when the Loughts keeper let a clean strike through his feet after thinking the ball had been struck outside the D.

And Havering dominated possession due to a capable back line transferring play across the pitch, working alongside the hard work ethic of Mangat and Harris.

The second half was a similar story but while Havering created lots of chances, they failed to convert and stand-in goalie Jack Barlow had to produce some fine saves late on to seal the man of the match award.

The first team remain top of the table after a bye week, while the women put up a fight in a 2-0 defeat at Harleston Magpies seconds.

The hosts started strongly but Havering soon settled and began to create opportunities as Katie Griggs and Bethan Isherwood worked well together in the central midfield to hold Magpies at bay, well supported by Emily Martin and Emily Gilkes-Tarsey.

Havering’s defence were unlucky to lose Steph Prowse to illness early on but Bukki Olodo, Monica Dubb, Alex Semon and Louise Burgess did an excellent job to intercept and start the potential attacks.

Sue Harwood and Izzy Purdie created a few goalscoring opportunity but were denied by good goalkeeping, with Magpies scoring from open play in the first half and a penalty stroke in the second.

The seconds, meanwhile, upset table-topping Waltham Forest 2-1 after Laura Burke produced some fine early runs on the right and linked up well with Tilly Bunn.

Forest set a good press and were able to break on the left and enter the D to open the scoring, but Emilie Molloy and Ali Floyd made excellent intecepting tackles to keep it at 1-0.

Emma Isherwood and Kayleigh Rochford combined well after the restart, as Bunn put in some strong tackles to help win the ball and force a short corner.

Molloy's strike from the top of the D levelled matters and Havering took the points from another set-piece, won by Isherwood, as Ruby Lendon pounced on a deflection off the keeper's pads.

*Upminster's women were edged out by Cambridge University by the odd goal in five at Coopers.

Lauren Slater-Harvey kept cool under early pressure, with goalkeeper Triggs alert to any danger.

And the hosts took the lead on six minutes as Slater-Harvey found Riva Siggins, who teed up Issey Uzal to score at the second attempt.

Rebecca Pearson and Alexa Marston worked hard to halt Cambridge progress, with Triggs saving a short corner, but the pressure told after a near post save as the rebound was lifted into the far corner.

The visitors kept pressing to earn two short corners in quick succession and although the first was saved a cleverly worked routine at the second found an unmarked player who finished well.

Quick movement and passing led to another Cambridge corner and similar outcome to leave Upminster 3-1 down on 19 minutes.

But a strong tackle by Bell Boyle thwarted another approach and set up Uzal, whose pass across the Cambridge D went begging.

Upminster began the second half in a determined mood, with Siggins and Marston working the ball out wide as play was kept in Cambridge territory.

But although pressed back Cambridge, using long ball clearances, were dangerous on the counter without making the most of a chance when outnumbering the home side.

Slater-Harvey and Uzal combined to cause panic in the Cambridge D and won a short corner on 49 minutes, with Amy Byrne injecting for Slater-Harvey to fire against the backboard and cut the gap to one.

Upminster kept finding openings in and around the D, with Imogen Hodges battling hard to keep pressure on Cambridge and Pearson finding constant threat Uzal time and again.

Ellen Kozlowska held firm as Cambridge tried to attack and her clearance found Siggins to win another corner, which Kozlowska fired over.

Further pressure led to two more short corners, which went begging, while Pearson and Triggs denied Cambridge from set-pieces of their own, before Marston's slick stick work cleared more danger.

With time almost up a surging run from captain Megan Miller took her into the Cambridge D, earning a short corner as the final whistle sounded.

But Slater-Harvey's effort was saved by the goalkeeper's stick hand as the students took off with the points.