There’s plenty of Larkin about

Thurrock 3 East London 4

ADAM LARKIN gave a captain's performance to help lead East London Hockey's men's team to a crucial away victory against promotion rivals Thurrock at the weekend.

The narrow win leaves East London two points behind Thurrock with one of their four remaining games in hand.

As expected, the game was closely contested throughout and Thurrock took an early lead after stealing the ball from the East London defence.

However, the Londoners struck back within minutes when Larkin slotted the ball past Thurrock's wrong-footed keeper from a penalty corner.

Another goal at either end left nothing between the teams at the break and the second half continued in the same manner.

Larkin struck for a second time to give East London a 3-2 lead, despatching a loose ball emphatically into the Thurrock net, only for this again to be cancelled out at the other end.

Both teams continued to push for the win and with the game stretched, Kevin Taylor found space to slip the ball under the keeper to give East London a slender advantage which they held for the remaining 10 minutes.

East London 7 Romford 0

EAST LONDON LADIES' first team managed an incredible 11th successive victory after putting seven past Romford without reply at Mile End Stadium.

The victory puts them back on the top of Essex Women's Hockey League Division One.

Goals from Martje Langerwerf, Gilly Grey and a hat-trick from Eilis Quinlan were straddled by two strikes from Sophie Hollington.

Hollington opened the scoring minutes into the game and wrapped it up from a penalty corner with the last hit of the match.

East London II 5 Wapping V 1

EAST LONDON'S mens' second team followed the ladies on the pitch at their Mile End home and treated the spectators to a second victory.

The home side looked like winning from the start with goals coming from Tom Bullock, Rob Rouse, Sean Channing and Alex Kickham.