BASINGSTOKE Hockey men second team kept the pressure up on the leaders Bournemouth with 3-1 victory over visiting Southampton University

Basingstoke started well, with a dominant midfield performance from Alex Miller, Jez Smith, Mark Easto and Greg Smith which helped Basingstoke maintain a strong core. Chances were being created up top but with no joy and very little was getting past them to worry the back four.

Mid way through the half, Jacques Lourens deflected a bullet pass from Jez Smith into the roof of the net to go 1-0 up.

Southampton Uni kept pressing and passed their way into the Basingstoke half, but goalkeeper Andy Stent, covering for Jorge Spicer-Martinez who was absent due to his appearance at the England Futures Tournament in St Albans, made three quick short range saves.

Basingstoke capitalised from the visitor's high press, with a fantastic transfer across the midfield enabling Greg Smith to find James Orr, who fed the ball into player of the match Lourens at the top of the D to rifle a clip shot into the bottom right corner.

Southampton clawed a goal back to make the score 2-1 at half time, however Basingstoke were dominant in the second half and scored another through Ben Shaughnessy.

He sent a short corner strike low to the goalkeeper's right to complete a 3-1 win to keep the side second in the table.

The ladies' second team travelled to take on a strong Aldershot and Farnham side, who started the day second in the league, and came back with a 3-2 win.

The game did not start ideally for Basingstoke, with an Aldershot forward dispossessing sweeper Holly Dowds at the top of the D and finishing clinically past goalkeeper Gemma Carswell in the first minute.

The visitors kept their heads up and equalised a minute later from a driving run around the back by Annalise Whitehead, who pulled it back for Gilly Dunning to strike into the corner.

In an end to end game, Basingstoke took the lead thanks to a well-executed reverse stick shot on the angle from Whitehead.

The visitors then made it 3-1 after winning a short corner, the injection going wayward but Cath McCormick passed to Dunning, who found Sarah Shearing to score.

Aldershot got a goal back just before half time, which proved to be the last goal of the game, as the Basingstoke defence aided by some strong saves from Carswell kept the home side out.

The third team got a well-earned draw at home to Fleet and Ewshot, who went 1-0 up before Frankie Tierney equalised.

The fourths beat IBM Nomads 2-0, thanks to a penalty stroke scored by Ella Lewis and a thunderous short corner strike from Sharon Holden.

The fifth team continued their strong performances with a 2-1 win at home to Southampton Uni, with goals from Shelley Rounding and Tricia Flynn.

The men’s first team had a frustrating afternoon away at Havant. Basingstoke dominated the majority of the game, going 5-0 up with 15 minutes to go thanks to goals from Dean Record (2), Grant Rouse, Todd Hutcheson and Dan Bowden.

However, the men lost concentration and conceded five goals in 10 minutes in a 5-5 tie.

The thirds drew 3-3 away at Eastleigh, with a hat-trick from Phil Stewart.

The fourth team drew 1-1 at home to Haslemere thanks to Eliot Boyd’s penalty corner conversion.

The Vikings drew 1-1 with Salisbury with a goal from Dave Gibbons, and the fifths went down 2-0 away at Camberley and Farnborough.