North Devon Ladies put Exeter to the sword

With the sun shining and the birds singing, North Devon Hocke Club Ladies’ 1s were poised to make it a difficult day for Exeter 4s’ defensive line at St James School. The day promised drama, and, wow, did it deliver!

From the off, it was clear who was in charge. North’s front four had Exeter’s defence running around like chickens on espresso, with movement off the ball that would have made even the most seasoned defenders dizzy.

It didn’t take long for Georgie Worrallo to open the scoring: a fabulous short corner – with more precision than an IKEA manual – saw the ball slam into the back of the net like it was trying to escape, putting North 1 up.

Exeter tried to regroup but were met with more chaos. In the thick of it, Kirstie Hughes made a full stretch on the reverse to score a deflection for North Devon’s second. Martika Gallagher added a third soon after, slipping it past the ‘keeper with pinpoint panache and poise.

If Exeter were hoping for a break in the second half, they were sorely mistaken. Kirsty Crocker swept a glorious shot into the top corner – one that would leave any goalie helpless – to put North 4 up.

Not content to let up, North continued the onslaught, with Hughes bagging her second from the top of the D to put North well and truly out of sight. To their credit, Exeter converted an impressive consolation, sneaking in a well-executed short-corner routine to cut the deficit.

Undeterred, North kept the pressure on maximum and, before long, Gallagher rounded out the day’s goals, battling through defenders like a bulldozer and netting again to make it 6-1.

While North’s forwards ran riot, the defensive line remained calm under pressure, handling Exeter’s occasional forays brilliantly, without an iota of stress. The midfield strung together passes like a fine-tuned orchestra that couldn’t miss a beat, dominating with such ease that Exeter might’ve thought they were playing chess, while North Devon were playing rugby.

Player of the match Kirsty Crocker’s performance was nothing short of exceptional. Whether scoring goals, setting them up or making sure Exeter knew who were on top, she was everywhere.

A stunning performance all round, North Devon. Here’s hoping for another superb, sunny display next week!

Elsewhere, North Devon Men’s 1s kept up their winning ways with a 5-1 win over the Plymouth Lions Men’s 2s. Despite some threatening early play from the visitors, North quickly found their stride.

With a brace apiece for Peter Smale and Ash Thorne, and a penalty stroke for Jay Corden, the hosts registered yet another fine win to consolidate their third-place position in the table.

North Devon Ladies’ 2s hosted Sidmouth & Ottery Ladies’ 2s in what would prove a close-fought affair from which the visitors emerged with the spoils. Despite some fine passing and threatening attacks, in keeping with their recent improved form, the hosts fell to a 0-2 defeat against a well-drilled outfit.

North Devon Men’s 2s travelled to Plymouth to take on Ocean City Men’s 3s in what would prove a difficult afternoon. Despite some promising early forays from the visitors, Ocean’s high press, coupled with some loss of shape at times, kept them at bay and the hosts took the points in a 3-0 win.