Haverhill 3

Welwyn Garden City 1

HAVERHILL ladies hockey team employed some new tactics to help them gain their first success of the new campaign on Saturday after winning promotion from the Suffolk Premier League last season.

Barb Ager and Elaine Ward gave Haverhill a 2-0 lead at the break in their opening home match of 2008/2009 before Abbi Pass scored a wonderful solo goal in the second period.

A consolation was not enough for previously undefeated Welwyn as Haverhill lifted themselves to seventh as a result.

"We are getting better each week," said captain Tina Bunch. "I was pleased with the way the team took on board the new changes and there was a good overall work rate.

"Looking at the league it seems as if it's going to be quite an open season so it's going to be difficult to judge where we expect to finish.

"It's good to get a win from our first home game.

"We should be strong at home this year."

Thanks to their new formation with Mandy Stopps, Jess Rubio and Tina Bunch packing the midfield Haverhill found themselves two up inside the first 15 minutes.

First Ager pulled off a reverse stick finish after Ward's shot had been saved from a short corner before another short corner produced a second goal, with Ward cleanly striking the ball into the Welwyn net.

Goalkeeper Debbie Petrucci pulled off a number of good saves as the visitors pressed strongly after the break but when Ward cleared to Pass on the halfway line, the latter went on a mazy run down the left that ended with her shooting past the opposition goalkeeper from inside the box.

A consolation from a Welwyn short corner was all they really offered in the way of resistance after that.