Havering 1s 6–1 Upminster
Scorers: Arron Lagden, Harry Pardon, Connor Poulain, Liam Purton (2), Adam Willett
MOTM: Alex Lee
DOTD: Liam Appleyard

Havering 1s put in an impressive attacking display to secure a convincing 6–1 victory over Upminster at home, taking all three points after a strong performance across the pitch.

We got off to a flying start, with Arron Lagden opening the scoring after a well-worked move into the D. The early pressure continued, and Harry Pardon doubled our advantage shortly afterwards, finding the back of the net to make it 2–0 inside the opening 10 minutes. It was the perfect start for Havering, with the team creating chances and putting Upminster under pressure from the outset.
Despite the early goals, the game remained fairly back and forth, with chances at either end as both sides looked to get forward. Upminster threatened on a number of occasions, mainly through crash balls into the D, but our defence did well to deal with the danger. Behind them, Andy Gauty was having an excellent game between the sticks, ensuring that none of Upminster's short corners found their way into the net.
As the first half progressed, the game settled down slightly, with both teams finding opportunities to attack. Havering continued to look dangerous going forward, and after winning a short corner, Connor Poulain stepped up and did what he does best, confidently slotting away his flick to extend our lead to 3–0 before half-time.

We came out for the second half looking to build on our three-goal advantage, and Liam Purton was quick to make his mark, finding the net with a neat, low push that beat the keeper to make it 4–0. With Havering firmly in control, Upminster began to show their frustration, with a few yellow cards following as tempers flared and the visitors struggled to find an answer to our performance.
Alex Lee was having an excellent game, repeatedly dropping deep to collect the ball before using his pace to make powerful runs in behind and stretch the Upminster defence. His ability to link the play and drive us forward made him a constant threat throughout the match.
Upminster eventually managed to pull one back with a sneaky deflection to make it 4–1, but any hopes of a comeback were quickly shut down. Less than two minutes later, Adam Willett found the net to restore our four-goal advantage at 5–1. From there, Upminster struggled to make their attacks count, with our defence dealing well with the pressure and our keeper ensuring their short corners came to nothing.
As the game began to wind down, Liam grabbed his second of the afternoon to make it 6–1 and round off the scoring.
While Liam Appleyard deserves credit for some useful aerials that helped relieve the defensive pressure throughout the game, one attempt went slightly astray and sailed over the fence surrounding the pitch. A valiant effort to clear the danger, if not quite the intended destination!

The final whistle confirmed an emphatic home victory for Havering 1s. Overall, it was an excellent team performance, combining a fast start, plenty of attacking intent and resolute defending to secure all three points and taking us up to 4th in Division 1 South. Six goals, a strong defensive display and some memorable moments made for a very satisfying afternoon in the sunshine.