WGC Hockey Club Ladies 1st Team continued their good start to the season with a 4-0 win over Bedford which sees them joint top of the 5 Counties Women’s Hockey League Premier Division.

The De Havilland-based girls are hoping to return to the East league in their first attempt following relegation last season.

New signing Trinny McCann again got on the scoresheet as WGC dominated the first half.

She was the first to react after a shot by Jane Kinghorn was deflected across the face of goal.

Kinghorn was on hand to score the second following a mesmerising run down the right wing and telling cross by Shannon Tella.

Tella needed no help whatsoever for WGC’s third, as she reacted quickest when her initial shot cannoned back off a post.

Jodie Sharkey made it four just before the interval, firing home the rebound after the keeper had made a good save.

Welwyn kept up the pressure in the second half and could have had more had it not been for some excellent goalkeeping by the Bedford netminder.

When she was beaten by Kinghorn midway through the half, she was reprieved by the referee’s whistle.

New captain Holly Butrimas-Gair has been very pleased with the start Welwyn have made to the new campaign and hopes it will continue next Saturday when they travel to Bishop’s Stortford.

There was no luck elsewhere though as the 2nds lost 1-0 to Berkhamsted & Hemel, the 3rds went down 5-1 to St Neots, Helen Roubickova getting the goal, and the 4ths were beaten 2-1 by Stevenage, Mary O’Donnell on target.

The men’s struggles in Division Three South West continued with a 2-1 loss at Stevenage.

Neither side had managed a victory this year but Welwyn went full of confidence and with nearly a full-strength side.

And for the first 10 minutes they were in the ascendency but good pressure from the Stevenage defence kept Welwyn facing away from goal.

Welwyn used the pace of Oli Reynolds to great effect and the forward got in several times only to be denied by the keeper.

And eventually Stevenage turned the tide and following a number of penalty corners, Dan Klinger was finally beaten at the back post.

The WGC keeper kept his side in it with a number of saves from fast breaks and they were able to come back and level the scores prior to the interval.

Like Stevenage it came from a penalty corner, Matt O’Connell deflecting the ball in at the back post.

Welwyn’s second-half performance was far better.

A cross right across the face of goal by Mark Skilbeck was just out of reach of Reynolds and Bryn Evans and Dan Hutt and Gary Mitchell were also causing danger for the Stevenage defence.

But just as it seemed as if WGC would pick up the victory, Stevenage were awarded a penalty flick after the ball hit Benedict O’Boyle’s foot around the penalty spot.

That was converted giving Stevenage the lead and despite Welwyn pushing for an equaliser, the closest they came were shots from Peter Mullens, Jens Van Helden and Reynolds which all went narrowly wide of the post.

WGC host West Herts on Saturday.