2ND MARCH - MEN'S 4S VS HAVERING 2S (A)

Havering (Away) was the newest challenge for the Loughts Men's 4s this week.

Following on from an unlucky defeat last time out against Saffron Walden, the team wanted to get back to winning ways. Against a team in a similar position in the league to us, this was a big opportunity to do just that.

With every point vital for us at this point in the season, we made sure to start the match switched on. Some good moves early on allowed us to settle. However, as the half drew on, neither team particularly established control. Both keepers were relatively quiet, apart from a remarkable reaction save from our own keeper Dylan, midway through the half. Although, in the latter stages of the half, we managed to play the ball delightfully through the Havering defence and thought we had finished off the move with a diving Rohan touch. This was not to be as it was judged to be from a backhand.

Halftime provided the opportunity to reflect on a performance not to the standard we all knew we were capable of. Still 0-0, Captain Rob re-iterated the message he gave pre-game - this match was ours if we wanted it enough.

The second half became a bit more frantic, with keeper Dylan in imprenetrable form once again. Unfortunately, due to a mistake in a tackle by myself, Havering broke up the field to scramble in the opening goal. Bitterly frustrated we had gone behind, the team continued to push for a goal in response.

Despite crafting some good openings and keeping Havering back in their own half for most of the last 10 minutes, we were just unable to draw level as the final whistle soon blew for fulltime.

MoM went to Rohan for his tenacious work and brilliant forward play all match. DoD was a closely run thing between myself and Dexter. Although I did get the only card of the match, the accolade went to Dexter for forgetting his astros, meaning he missed a large part of the first half in going home to get them.

The big matches keep coming for the 4s, with a now hugely important match against Witham the assignment come next Saturday. With remaining fixtures against Thurrock and Chelmsford to follow, the team knows it is of paramount importance to rediscover the good form we have shown since the New Year.