Courageous comeback for North Devon hockey stars

North Devon Hockey Club Men’s 2s returned to action following the festive break, hosting Ashmoor Men’s 3s in what would become a thrilling, dynamic-shifting encounter to kick-off the second half of the season.

North began the match on the back-foot, losing possession across the park and allowing Ashmoor – spearheaded by the steely attacking prowess of their younger players – to bear down on goal and threaten from the off.

Sensing some nerves and unburdened by North’s press, Ashmoor kept the pressure on and eventually got their reward when, following a slaloming run down the left side of the D, a wide player hooked in a fine finish to put the visitors in front.

Keeping the tempo steady, Ashmoor followed their opener with a plethora of piercing forward runs, weaving together some fine passing and registering a number of shots on goal.

Nonetheless, most of these were no match for Nathan Mitchell in goal who, parrying with self-assured aplomb, produced yet another brilliant display. This, together with two superb goal-line clearances from Jack Mcgarry, kept North in the game.

Shortly before the break, however, the visitors’ pressure told once more when they deservingly doubled their advantage.

Fortunate to have not conceded more, North reconvened at half time for a chastening team talk, in which the need to press higher and get the ball moving quicker were made clear.

And they did just that.

The second half began as it would continue, with what looked like a completely different team from the first. North flew out of the blocks to hem in Ashmoor’s defensive line and bamboozle the seemingly comfortable away side with a barnstorming forward press.

They were rewarded within minutes when, latching onto a fine pass through the middle, Luke Brunton deflected the ball into the left corner to halve the deficit.

Revitalised, the hosts ploughed on, quelling little in the way of countering hockey from their opponents. The away side’s frustrations began to show, with a few snippy words for the umpires and hosts.

Undeterred, and despite a double brandishing of the green card, the home side remained resolute in search of an equaliser, buoyed on by what had become a crowd of supporters in fine voice on the sidelines.

Earning a short corner right at the death, the players gathered around the D, desperate to level the affair and, following a frenzied melee featuring almost every player on the pitch, Matt Upward struck an equaliser, sending the onlookers into raptures and capping off the hosts’ comeback in the best possible way.

Following what felt like a win, captain Bradley Bellingham praised the side’s pluck and bouncebackability in the second half. This will definitely raise spirits for the weeks to come and bodes well for a team aiming to climb the table.