It may have come at the eighth time of asking but it was no less sweet - as Welwyn Garden City's men recorded their first win of the East Hockey League season.

The first team at the Hertfordshire Sports Village-based hockey club had managed two draws in their previous seven fixtures but the big three points came with a 2-0 success at Bishop's Stortford.

They started with a succession of short corners which, although well defended, gave them confidence.

They too defended well when the need arose, often turning it into quick counter-attacks with Bryn Evans' aerial passes repeatedly finding the marauding Nate Last and Dave Allmand-Smith.

The breakthrough came when Nick Reilly sent Last through, winning a short corner on his route to goal.

That was delivered expertly and although a reverse stick strike from Pete Mullens was saved, Allmand-Smith hammered home the rebound from close range.

Stortford responded strongly, eventually forcing a number of short corners as the half came to a close.

Dan Klinger was able to make several smart saves to keep some of them out with Rob Sansom also on had with crucial interceptions.

The second half followed a similar pattern with Welwyn midfielders Dan White and Paul Marchant increasingly joining the front two on breaks.

It was after more Stortford pressure and one of those quick breaks that WGC got their second.

Last broke clear and found Allmand Smith, and from his deft pass that wrong-footed the home defence, White swept in the finish from the top of the circle.

Stortford threw everything they had at Welwyn for the last 10 minutes but Sansom and Klinger marshalled the Welwyn defence to a clean sheet and those valuable three points.

They are back at home on Saturday when they play Bedford, a side below them in the bottom three.

The ladies' first team didn't have as much luck on their road trip, losing 3-0 to unbeaten Division Two South West leaders Saffron Walden.

There were other success though as the women's third and fourth teams won, beating Walden 1-0 and Chiltern 5-0 respectively.

Potters Bar meanwhile almost had a full house of victories.

The men's first team were the only team to fail to win, a late equaliser at Old Loughtonians cancelling out a Miles Tomkins effort for a 1-1 draw.

The ladies had an early start at Berkhamsted & Hemel Hempstead but returned with a 1-0 win courtesy of a Chris Field goal.

The men's seconds got back to winning ways with an excellent 3-0 success over Bedford, Warren Edmondson with another two goals and the other coming from Iyra Patel.

The threes were the day's headliners as beat Stevenage 9-2, a win that lifts them to second in the table.

Aryan Walia got four and Simon Kelly three, Ben Cade and James Atkinson completing the rout.

Andy Latham got both goals as the fourths won 2-0  away to Southgate Adelaide.