HOCKEY: IES 2 Colchester 0. In the first of two vital games for the Rushmere-based side, Ipswich East Suffolk deservedly ran out winners in a tight match thanks to two great strikes.

By Martin White

IN the first of two vital games for the Rushmere-based side, Ipswich East Suffolk deservedly ran out winners in a tight match thanks to two great strikes.

The win was largely due to a collective squad spirit and desire not to be beaten as the side bids to avoid dropping out of Premier Division A of the Printwize East League.

While they have played much better than this display, they out-fought their opponents in every area of the pitch for much of the game and gave Colchester little room in which to play.

IES caused the visitors' defence all sorts of problems thanks to the pace of Guy Marshlain and Sam Gibson and the skills of David Taylor who came close to opening the scoring with a flashing drive across the face of goal.

Within minutes, however, IES were in front. More good build up work saw playmaker Joel Dry causing havoc at the top of the circle and his pass was intuitively dummied by Danny Mayhew to leave Marshlain with a shot from a tight angle and the winger made no mistake with a superb strike into the far corner.

Defensively IES coped well with the three forwards that Colchester employed although it wasn't always textbook stuff, while the experienced Paul Edwards caused most of the problems.

Goalkeeper Charlie Farrow brought off one good save from him and with Stuart Gooderham and Matt Gardner putting in timely tackles and Ian Swallow and James Bouttell marking tightly, Colchester found it tough to create any real chances.

In the second half the visitors upped their game and IES had to work harder off the ball. Farrow made a great double save from Edwards, while at the other end, Dry and Bouttell both went close.

IES increased their lead with the best move of the game. Having worked the ball out of defence, Marshlain did well to get the ball to Taylor wide left and he drew two players to him before playing a sublime 40 yard pass to Gibson.

The right winger took one touch before crashing the ball past the keeper to effectively seal the points and any hope Colchester had evaporated when Edwards argued once too often and watched the rest of the game from behind the goal.