Hockey picture special: Portsmouth ladies continue perfect start to 2022 while men's first-team suffer defeat on long-awaited return to action

The hosts had to come from behind before eventually running out emphatic 4-1 South Central Women's Premier Division 2 winners at Furze Lane.

Playing in their second fixture since the turn of the year after beating Slough 2nds last time out, Portsmouth struggled in the early exchanges and fell behind.

Yet Wycombe's opener only seemed to spark the hosts into life and following a succession of attacks, Katie Pond's reverse stick tap-in at the far post ensured the scores were level at 1-1 at half-time.

Portsmouth came out in a determined mood after the restart as leading scorer Katie Spooner fired them in front for the first time.

Wycombe were denied a route back into the game with a couple of fine smothering saves from Kez Winter, while at the other end Sam Hassell's drag flick was turned around the post.

Lauren Stewart capitalised on a poor clearance to fire Portsmouth 3-1 in front then Spooner scored again to round off a routine victory.

Portsmouth are faced with a number of injuries as they prepare for a trip to face Milton Keynes on Saturday.

n Portsmouth's men's first-team were defeated 2-1 as they made the trip to Basingstoke 2nds in their opening fixture of 2022.

It was Portsmouth's first competitive match in six weeks - since they were beaten 1-0 at home by Andover on December 4 - although they were unfortunately unable to match it a winning return to competitive action.