Double defeat for Havant’s men’s and women’s 1st XI hockey teams

Fareham's Victoria Field, left, and Havant's Louisa Taylor in action during Fareham's 3-1 win at Henry Cort School

The hosts were minus Matt Cox and Manuel Rodrigues with hamstring pulls while Jamie Whitehouse was sidelined having undergone a recent operation.

Atiq Arshad is not available until the end of this month,, but there were league debuts for Manuel Silvetti, Jakob Janicki, Morgan Sturt and Fin Carvalho.

Oxted took the lead when Robert Mugridge deflected the ball over Maciej Pacanowski in the 22nd minute from a well-worked penalty corner routine.

Chris Webster doubled the lead on 32 minutes

The second half was a different affair and there were sustained periods of Havant pressure.

Oxted became indisciplined with some crude stick tackling and rough play seeing Matt Brown, Max Gilbert and Jordan Turnball yellow carded.

From their fifth penalty corner, Federico Bertoni pulled the hosts back into contention.

After Craig Duffy was yellow carded, Oxted restored their two-goal lead when Pacanowski was penalised for a push and Timothy Guise-Brown converted a penalty.

Havant struck again when good work from Charlie Stubbings and Indy Laly ended with Mike Deller Merricks bundling the ball over the line.

James Meakin replied as Fareham were beaten 2-1 by Teddington in their opening Division 1 South encounter.

FAREHAM claimed early-season bragging rights over Havant in the South Women’s League at Henry Cort.

The first league fixture between the two first teams produced a feisty encounter which Fareham won 3-1.

The hosts opened the scoring in the 15th minute from a move that began with good work down the right wing from Vicky Field.

The ball was played across to the far post where Rachael Millington-Clark scored with a composed finish.

Seven minutes later Heather Batten - who had scored five times in Fareham’s season-opening 11-0 destruction of Tulse Hill and Dulwich the previous week - robbed a defender on the edge of the 'D' before doubling the lead.

Poppy Herbert, Havant's most dangerous player, brought the visitors back into contention in the second half.

But with five minutes remaining Laura Pendleton deflected a Batten shot in for Fareham’s third goal.

Fareham remain top ahead of Southampton and Old Georgians on goal difference and next weekend travel to Haslemere.