Plym Valley 3 Okehampton Ladies' Hockey Club 3 THIS was very much a game of two halves. A stuttering start from Okehampton saw Plym Valley take the lead early on. Okehampton did pick up and pressed forward, but Plym Valley scored two more on the break, going into half-time 3-0 up. The second half saw much more determined play from the Columbines, with good teamwork and some excellent hockey. The umpires curbed some of the physical excesses of the Plym Valley team, which allowed Jo Moppett to display her skills. She opened the scoring for Okehampton with a fine reverse stick shot and scored again shortly after from a short corner. Okehampton were now on fire, snuffing out the Plym Valley attack with excellent defending from the backs, Abil Coltlon, Jennie Humphrey and Sandy Douglas. It was good link up play through the middle (through positive play, particularly from Alex Collins and Carol Taylor) which set up Viv Weatherington for the equalising goal. The game was now end to end. Jane Jones at left half and Sarah Jones at right half with help from her right wing, Hannah Whiteley, were strong in their tackles, reducing the threat from the wings. But the heroine of the match for Okehampton was their goalkeeper Sophie Whiteley, who saved from an excellent Plym Valley strike, which was headed for the far corner of the goal; then, in the dying minutes she made a wonderful under pressure save from a penalty awarded against the Columbines. In the end, the game resulted in a draw the Okehampton pack can be proud of. The team spirit saw them come back from a 3-0 defeat. This Saturday (15th) Okehampton Ladies have their coffee morning in the Church Hall and would be grateful for support. In the afternoon, they play Newton Abbot at home.
