Havering Ladies 2s welcomed Chelmsford Ladies 4s for a hard-fought encounter that ultimately ended in a narrow 2–1 defeat.

Havering made a bright and positive start to the game, putting Chelmsford under pressure and getting their reward with the opening goal from Alex Semon. The early advantage gave Havering confidence, but Chelmsford gradually began to find their way into the match.

The visitors won a penalty corner and took their opportunity to level the scores at 1–1, which is how the teams went into the half-time break.

The second half developed into a real battle, with both sides working hard for control of the game. Havering defended determinedly but found themselves conceding too many penalty corners, allowing Chelmsford to keep the pressure on.

The decisive moment came when a looping Chelmsford effort struck the crossbar. Unfortunately for Havering, the visitors were first to react to the rebound, flicking the ball into the top of the net to take a 2–1 lead.

Havering refused to give up and produced some valiant efforts as they searched for an equaliser. Despite pushing forward and battling right until the final whistle, they couldn’t find the breakthrough needed to get themselves back on level terms.

It was another frustrating result for Havering, but there were positives to take from the bright start and the determination shown throughout the game. The challenge now is to identify the areas that need improving, build on the good moments and find the consistency needed to turn a difficult start to the season around.