ND Hockey claim crucial win to climb table

North Devon Hockey Club Men’s 1s hosted Cornish rivals Duchy HC 1s in an important game for the home side, who had only registered one win so far this season.

A rejigged lineup saw Guy Cockcroft start at left midfield with Joe Taylor-Richards and Pete Smale up front. North Devon pushed back and scored before Duchy had even touched the ball: an aerial pass from Cockcroft finding Taylor-Richards who squared to Smale who struck the ball into the far corner.

Unfortunately, North Devon conceded almost immediately when a misplaced pass down the left saw Duchy intercept the ball and break en-masse. Poor marking allowed the Duchy forward to shoot on his backhand and with ‘keeper Sam Wormington unsighted, the ball bobbled in.

Duchy then took control of the game, with attacks aplenty spearheaded by ex-North Devon player Ben Andrews using aerials to great effect. The consistent Duchy pressure saw penalty corners won: Guy Cockcroft saving one off the line and Mike Cuthbertson and Ben Cox desperately clearing the ball on others.

North Devon’s attacks were few and far between, with the best chance coming after Josh Thorne’s pass to Ash Thorne in the circle just failed to connect at the far post. Somehow it remained 1-1 at half time.

North Devon knew that to win, they had to step up. Ash Thorne started the second half further back and his energy helped North Devon regain composure. Toby Fletcher’s pace down the right allowed North Devon to hem Duchy in.

Eventually the pressure paid off with Ben Cox winning a penalty corner following some determined baseline play. Cockcroft saw an opportunity and his strike found the bottom corner.

Poor discipline from Duchy saw them reduced to 10 players and North Devon almost capitalised against their tiring opponents, when Dave Orr stole the ball from Andrews and played in Smale who, despite seeming a shoo-in, was thwarted by a last-ditch tackle by the goalie.

Not long after, Giles Rowden intercepted a loose pass and found Cockcroft whose baseline drive and pass found Smale, who dispatched the third with aplomb.

A much-improved team effort that sees North Devon move two places up the league.

Elsewhere, North Devon Men’s 2s travelled to meet Exeter Men’s 2s in a tough encounter that saw the hosts triumph 6-3. Despite fighting back against an early two-goal deficit and relying on just 12 players, Exeter’s pressure proved too much.

North Devon Ladies’ 1s maintained their 100% record with a 3-0 away win against Isca 3s, consolidating their position at the top of the league. Strong passing and composure saw their remarkable run continue.

Despite a valiant effort, particularly in the first half, North Devon Ladies’ 2s lost at home to Tiverton White Eagles. With goals starting to rack up in a difficult league, however, there’s plenty to build on.