Underhill Group Plymouth & West Devon Combination Senior Division Mainstone 2 Tavistock 2nds 6 IT may seem slightly ungracious to describe a 6-2 victory as an average performance, but nonetheless this was not one of Tavistock?s better efforts. For the first twenty five minutes of this mid-week match neither side seemed capable of imposing any kind of authority on the game. Tavistock eventually opened their account when Ben Stephens took full advantage of a moment of confusion between defender and keeper, poaching the ball from both, giving himself a clear run on goal. Two minutes later Stephens added to his tally with a well directed header passed the Mainstone keeper. Eighteen minutes into the second half, Mainstone looked to be back in the game when a fine half-volley from their striker beat the Tavistock keeper from fifteen yards. Ben Palmer managed to upset Mainstone?s plans almost immediately, meeting a well floated corner to head the ball through a crowded Mainstone defence giving Tavistock a 3-1 lead. Within a matter of minutes Ben Stephens got his second hat-trick in a week, beating the keeper from eighteen yards. Mainstone?s heads began to drop and Craig Hodge took full advantage, blasting a shot from twenty yards to take the score to 5-1. With nothing to lose at this point Mainstone to their credit began to fight back. A wonderfully audacious shot into the top corner from their substitute winger deceived both the Tavistock defence and Mainstone forwards who to a man were expecting a cross, bringing the score to 5-2. Andy Bacon completed the demolition job for Tavistock five minutes from time with a delicate long range lob. It does beggar the question though, what would the score have been if Tavistock had been on form?
