It was a tough afternoon for Havering as they faced Old Loughtonians 4's in a top-of-the-table clash, eventually falling to a 4–0 defeat despite holding their opponents level for the first 55 minutes.

The opening half was a disciplined display of teamwork and cohesion from Havering. Chances were limited at both ends, with much of the play concentrated in midfield, where Paul Johnson and Michael Caruana Smith worked tirelessly to keep the game balanced.

In the 13th minute, centre-back Alistair Lewis was shown a green card after prolonged disagreement with the umpire over a short corner decision, leaving Havering temporarily down to ten men. Even so, the home side held firm and went into the break with the scoreline still goalless.

The deadlock was finally broken in the 55th minute, Old Loughtonians capitalising after sustained pressure. That opener proved decisive, as three further goals followed in the final quarter of an hour while Havering struggled to regain their shape and composure.

The second goal was almost kept out by defender Jack Harding, who bravely put his body on the line, meeting the ball at chest height with his stick, but it still found its way into the net. The third came from a defensive lapse, with Taylor Ahmad mistakenly believing the ball had gone out of play, gifting Old Loughtonians a chance that was converted at Paul Afteni’s near post.

Despite the late collapse, Havering’s first-hour performance was strong and composed, showing resilience against a high-quality side. Havering did carve out some chances of their own, the best falling to Smith, who tested the opposition keeper three times in quick succession, albeit firing each effort straight at him, as if determined to make friends rather than find the net. Man of the Match went to Huxley True, who not only broke up numerous counter-attacks but also drove several of Havering’s own forward moves.

Havering now head into a bye week before resuming their promotion push the following weekend with a testing away fixture against a strong Bengal Tigers side.