Upminster's men beat Potters Bar 3-0 in a friendly but competitive encounter to keep pace with the teams around them in their push for a top-three finish.

They started well, enjoying a lot of early possession and creating chances from the outset, but failed to make them count.

Potters Bar began to find their way back into the game with a string of penalty corners, which were to no avail thanks to some good work by the Upminster defence.

And Upminster made the breakthrough on the stroke of half time through a great individual effort and strike from Alex Mitchell.

The second half began much the same with Upminster asserting early pressure on the Potters Bar defence.

More chances followed but again Upminster failed to make them count before extending their lead when a penalty corner move broke down and fell to in-form Mitchell to convert his second of the game.

Upminster were awarded a penalty stroke late on, after a penalty corner struck a defender on the line, which was converted - just- by Jamie O'Dell to maintain hopes of finishing second behind champions Bishop's Stortford.

They will look to keep the good results coming as they go into a double-header weekend against Old Loughts on Saturday and at Bedford on Sunday.

The seconds remain top of Division 3SE after a hard-fought 2-1 win at Witham.

The hosts started the better and controlled the opening exchanges, with Upminster careless in possession, and took the lead after some poor defending by the visitors.

However, it was all square just before the break when player of the match Ethan Berry deflected a pass from defender of the match Rob Bugeya past the Witham goalkeeper.

Upminster had much more possession after the restart but failed to capitalise on their dominance until the final 10 minutes when a strike from a penalty corner was deflected past the impressive Witham keeper to seal all three points.

Another win over third-placed Redbridge & Ilford at Coopers in their penultimate match of the season on Saturday should secure a promotion place.

Upminster's women fell to a 3-1 home defeat against Peterborough.

They began brightly with Lucy Falzon and Aimee Banks bringing the ball forward searching for the movement of Riva Siggins who was keeping the visiting defence busy in their D.

But Upminster were open to breakaway attacks and goalkeeper Charlotte Triggs and Lauren Slater-Harvey combined to save and clear an effort on goal.

Peterborough opened the scoring from their second short corner of the game on 13 minutes and as misplaced passes crept into Upminster's game, doubled their lead after a scramble soon after.

Falzon and Siggins began to work some openings while Drew Bailey, with time and space out wide, was able to drive into the D and win a corner which came to nothing.

And another forceful and determined run by Bailey into the D saw her intelligent crossfield pass cause panic, as the alert Kerry Hodges continued her rich vein of form to finish well under pressure.

Byrne was then able to recycle the ball in midfield and weaved her way through the visiting defence to fire goalwards, but the keeper saved with an outstretched leg.

Upminster looked the more likely to score as the half drew to a close and, after a sweeping move out of defence, Imogen Hodges just failed to get on the end of a pass into the D as the keeper closed her down.

Peterborough forced the play after the restart, with Triggs making several early saves and Upminster relieving pressure with long searching balls upfield.

Bella Boyle and Siggins worked together to stop a further attack at the expense of a short corner which was saved by Triggs.

But with the defence under constant pressure and numbers forward Peterborough made it 3-1 following a goalmouth scramble.

Now chasing the game, Upminster's Imogen Hodges, Siggins, Byrne and Banks worked tirelessly around the Peterborough D in search of openings, but could not make inroads.

A long-range effort from Kerry Hodges went wide, while Triggs made an excellent save with her glove hand as Peterborough looked to increase their advantage.

And with time running out Falzon drove forward into the D to earn a short corner which came to nothing.