SOUTHEND Swifts under-12s boys won their first ever league match, beating Thurrock Hornets 78-45 at Seevic College.

This was despite Swifts starting the match with only nine players and consequently a 10-point deficit.

But Jack Hayes, Jamie Fessey Cook, Joshua Sowoolu and Harry Burks got themselves onto the scoresheet to put Swifts 3-0 up, with Thomas Mathe and Oliver Cooper making it 16-12 at the end of the opening quarter.

The second period saw Hornets cut the deficit to 24-19, despite a spectacular reverse lay-up from Joe Burks.

The third quarter saw Isaac Volk start an 8-0 run and, with Hayes and Cooper getting through the Hornets defence, suddenly it was 50-27. Sam Kasakaitis helped Southend to a 58-35 lead going into the final period.

Swifts scored the final 16 points of the afternoon, with Hayes the top scorer (19 points) ahead of Burks (16), Volk (14) and Cooper (13).

The under-16 girls were also winners on the opening day of their season, beating last season’s national runners-up Peckham Pride 77-32 in the newly-formed southern premier division.

Peckham shot the opening basket but Swifts hit back, with aggressive defence leading to scores from Rhian Simpson, Georgia Powell and Charlotte Ellmore.

Ellmore, Katie Bennett, Chelsea Locke and six straight from Tia Stack concluded a 19-0 run, with Swifts leading 28-4 at the end of the first quarter.

Four points from Ellmore got the second period underway but the scoring rate subsided, although another nine unanswered points, with four from Simpson, made it 47-14 at half time.

A pair of long two-pointers from Grace Crook and Amelia Wilson got Southend moving again.

A steal and a lay-up from Shannon Brook got the scoreboard moving, with Ellmore taking the last four points of the quarter.

Tonie Abbott and Molley Gould ensure all 12 Swifts were on the scoresheet before the end, with Ellmore top scoring on 21 points, ahead of Stack (13) and Simpson (10).

The under-14 girls crushed Brentwood Fire 108-41 in the East Midlands Conference.

Swifts’ captain Charlotte Redhead led the charge, with Lilly Annim, Eleanor Butt and Anabelle Yates-Ringshall impressing.

There were also notable contributions from eight-year-old Emily Fessey-Cook and seven-year-old Stevie Roberts.