Seven-up Wapping maintain lead at top of table, while women have to share points

Wapping’s men made it seven wins in a row with a 4-2 success over West Herts to maintain their two-point lead at the top of East Premier A.

Ben Bull received a green card for his first tackle, with Will Cairns and Warren D’Souza also picking up cards later in the game.

But Wapping remained patient and opened the scoring when a short corner deflection hit the foot of a West Herts defender and Cairns converted the resulting penalty flick.

It was soon all square as Herts hit back, but Wapping went 2-1 up as Bull fired home on his reverse from Toussaint Wattinne’s set-up.

Cairns added a third with a drag flick from another corner, only for Herts to claim their second goal of the afternoon.

But Bull had the final say with a slick shot from a short corner rebound to seal the points, as Cairns missed a late flick.

Wapping’s women had to settle for a share of the spoils from an East Premier clash with their West Herts rivals.

Former Irish international Aisling McKeon returned to the side and made her presence felt, linking up well with Lucy Todd, Tash Wright and Siobhan Stewart in the middle of the park.

Wing back Sophie Tompkinson and Chelsea Hodgson attacked high up the pitch and Wapping’s early pressure led to a number of chances, as Katelynn Roganowicz saw a shot cleared off the line by a foot, before sending her penalty flick wide of the target.

Wapping eventually made the breakthrough, though, when Todd ran on to a pass in midfield, drove into the D and fired a blistering shot home.

However, their joy was shortlived as the hosts hit back with a fine solo effort from their centre-back.

Hannah Gage marshalled the Wapping defence well against her childhood club during the second half, as goalkeeper Kate Brannelly kept out a series of short corners in a player of the match performance.

Jordan Mulvaney, Ness Sharman and Jennifer Allen all attacked for Wapping, leading to a number of shots at goal, but West Herts finished strongly.

With two minutes remaining, Hodgson was sent to the sin bin after the umpire adjudged her to have intentionally broken down play, with West Herts awarded a short corner. But Brannelly kept the ball out once again to ensure honours finished even.