Brilliant Braunton enjoy a weekend to remember

When it comes to special sporting weekends, the one just passed is up there with the very best for Braunton Football Club.

It all started with the men’s team ending an extraordinary unbeaten run and concluded with the women producing a ten out of ten display to trounce visiting Alphington.

Braunton Women were playing their first home game of the campaign and the Alphas were quickly in trouble, Olivia Hopson scoring direct from a corner for the opening goal. The lead was doubled by Charlotte Pardoe calmly slotting a penalty into the corner of the net.

Mollie Blackford joined the fun by racing on to a slide rule pass and slamming a confident finish into the bottom corner. Georgia Sammons was next on the scorer list, eventually picking up the rebound to convert after an initial drive had struck the bar. Sammons then made it 5-0 at the break with a close-range finish.

Braunton continued to be relentless in their pursuit of more goals after the break. An unfortunate own goal made it six before Alice Rivans twisted into space on the edge of the box for another clinical strike into the corner.

Rivans turned the screw even further, when she expertly took a pass on the back foot, spun into space and steered the ball beyond a beleaguered Alphington goalkeeper. Rivans completed her hat-trick with a fierce drive into the roof of the net and scoring was completed by a Blackford penalty.

The day before a comprehensive victory for the women, Braunton men welcomed a Boca Seniors side looking to extend an unbeaten league run stretching back to 2021/22 season.

Braunton’s best chance was to make a fast start and they delivered with a fabulous team move, carving through the Boca defence with an exchange of passes involving Timmy Pike and Matt Bull, creating the space for Nathan Knight to rifle home a terrific opener.

Bull then struck the Boca bar, as the early pressure continued without respite. The lead was doubled by Connor Stapley and Braunton were in dreamland when Knight embarked on a marvellous solo run, culminating in a calm finish for 3-0.

It was one of the finest first-half displays Camp Lobb has witnessed in many years, with particular plaudits for Ryan Goss, who enjoyed a barnstorming game.

Boca, however, are a top side for a reason and they fought back with goals from Sam Box and Lee Fry. It set up a tense finish but Braunton had done enough for a famous win.