North Devon too powerful for Torbay and Taunton in stellar weekend

North Devon Hockey Club set off to the English Riviera for what proved to be an entertaining encounter against Torbay Men’s 1s. Buoyed by last week’s spirited performance, the damp, soggy conditions could not deter belief.

The game started exactly as North had hoped, with sharp, solid passing culminating in their first clear-cut chance, Pete Smale snatching his effort wide. Not long after, his strike partner Bradley Bellingham opened the scoring at the 12-minute mark, bagging a tap-in at the back post.

Torbay soon equalised to make it 1–1 from a short corner routine, in which the ball deflected off goalkeeper Sam Wormington’s pad into the roof of the net. The setback did little to deter North, who got straight back on the front foot, earning a string of short corners of their own. Guy Cockcroft restored the lead with an unstoppable strike into the bottom corner.

The second half began much like the first, with North dominating proceedings. Smale orchestrated the press superbly and scored a goal of his own when, following a fine passing exchange between Archie Shawcross and Joe Taylor-Richards, he peeled away from his defender and slid the ball home to make it 3–1. Soon after, Ben Cox made it four with a looping flick to beat the goalkeeper.

Despite Wormington being sent to the sin bin for two minutes, North knuckled down and defended with purpose. Torbay pressed against the goalkeeper-less goal to no avail, with Man of the Match Jay Corden standing firm, while relentless tackling from Oscar Spear, Dylan Evans and Henry Peters kept the home side at bay.

Following another short corner routine for Torbay, they were awarded a penalty stroke. Returning to the pitch fresh from his two-minute break, Wormington, doing his best to distract and gain any advantage he could, parried the flick away — his second such save this season.

From that point on, North saw the game out, playing the ball around the back and expertly running down the clock. A gutsy performance and a huge relief to come away with all three points.

Elsewhere, the Ladies’ 1s fought valiantly in a 0-3 loss to top side Exeter University 5s, producing some stellar defensive play against a very tough outfit. The Men’s 2s mauled Torbay Men’s 2s 8-1 in something of a topsy-turvy display, with cards and goals aplenty.

North Devon Ladies’ 2s made the long trip to a rain-sodden Taunton and returned with a thoroughly deserved 4–0 victory over Taunton Vale 6s, writes Alistair Poll.

Despite the grim Somerset weather, North Devon started brightly and played with real intent  from the opening whistle. North came agonisingly close on a number of occasions in the first half, with a flurry of chances that deserved more than the 0–0 scoreline at the break. The only thing missing was a goal — and perhaps a half-time show featuring Bad Bunny.

The second half began with a stern test, as Taunton Vale emerged determined to capitalise on their home advantage. Persistent pressure was met with calm, organised defending, with Lauren Messenger, Caitlin Brooks, Bridget Smith and Kathryn Mitchell proving rock solid at the back and refusing to give the hosts a foothold in the game.

As the rain continued to pour, North Devon’s attacking play grew sharper, driven by the outstanding leadership of Captain Sally Poll, whose influence was so dominant it prompted the Taunton players — and even their coach — to plead with Coach Ali to take her off to “give them a chance”!

The midfield engine room finally turned pressure into reward when Claudia Omar netted her first goal for the club, a moment fully earned through tireless work and persistence. Almost immediately, she struck again, extinguishing any remaining Vale hopes in the winter downpour.

From there, the floodgates opened. Hannah Watkins deservedly made it 3–0 before Poll capped a superb personal performance with an unstoppable penalty corner strike. Four goals in barely ten minutes sealed the contest in emphatic fashion.

A thoroughly deserved three points on the road, built on collective effort and belief. Special mentions go to Ava Pash and Lauren Messenger, whose improvement this season has been outstanding, and to the entire squad for a performance full of resilience, quality and character.