A trip to Harpenden saw Welwyn Garden City's men maintain their unbeaten start to the season.

The 1-1 draw followed two successive victories and left the Hertfordshire Sports Village-based hockey club's first team hugely content with their performance.

A change in formation helped as did the fact they stuck to the plan set by skipper Dan Klinger.

Several penalty corners for the home side kept the WGC defence on their toes, blocking several with Klinger saving any that got through.

And that laid the foundation for them to take a half-time lead.

They got their own series of set-pieces and after two injections from Bryn Evans were saved and cleared, a third to George Reilly was played into the left post where a one-touch hit from Stuart Stephen found its way into the net.

Harpenden resumed the clash in determined mood and dominated possession as they patiently waited for an opening.

Welwyn were forced into some last-ditch tackles and Klinger was on his toes to turn away a couple of efforts but the visitors also threatened to snatch a second on the counter with Dave Allmand-Smith and Callum Burr linking up well, ably supported by Reilly and Evans.

Crucially they couldn't double their lead and finally a Harpenden short corner routine worked, Pete Mullens stopping the first shot and the rebound only partially cleared before the telling blow past an unsighted Klinger.

Both sides created further chances as the game wound down to its conclusion, with the closest for Welwyn coming in the last few minutes.

A long aerial pass from Reilly down the left found Allmand-Smith in space. The centre forward beat his man, committed the keeper and lifted the ball across to Will Reilly but his shot was cleared off the line.

They will look to continue their good form on Saturday when they play league leaders Letchworth.

Potters Bar's men had their game at Old Loughtonians postponed while their female counterparts suffered a 4-0 reverse at home

A trip to Tring to face Berkhamsted & Hemel ended in a similar score for the ladies' second team but this time, they were on the winning side of the result.

It leaves them second in the Division Six South West table with three wins from three.