Friendly
Okehampton Ladies Columbines 5
Ashmoor Ladies 1
THIS hockey game started with a bang with Ashmoor scoring within a minute of the start of the game. Ashmoor demonstrated their speed and good ball control while Okehampton looked flat footed and flabbergasted.
Shocked into alertness Okehampton quickly responded and within five minutes of hard play Alex Collins managed to score for Okehampton and even the score.
A pattern was established of dangerous attacks by Ashmoor down the centre which the Okehampton defence of Jane Jones, Sandy Douglas and Carol Taylor pushed out to the wings. Both sides saw fast and fierce work with Louise Weller and Alex Collins like terriers on the left and Kim Davey and Jo Drake making the most of the space on the right.
Viv Weatherington and Jo Moppett as Okehampton forwards were there to pick up every chance. That both teams wore purple and Okehampton had lent Ashmoor players added a certain piquancy to the play — Jane Jones (Okehampton) and Sarah Jones (Ashmoor) fought hard for possession between them.
The first half ended with Okehampton 3-1 up as Viv scored and Alex had scored again in some very exciting play which involved good team work from the whole of the Okehampton attack.
In the second half Ashmoor was bolstered by Amanda Sims and Grace Thorpe from Okehampton. A good strike at Okehampton by Sarah Jones was cleared by Sophie Whiteley as one of several splendid saves made by this confident goalie.
Ashmoor continued to look very dangerous on the attack with excellent dribbling and interception skills but they could not score. Jo Moppett superbly took the ball down by herself from the half way line and through all the defence to score. Jo Drake got Okehampton's fifth with an excellent straight push on the left post after a clear pass from the ever energetic player of the match Kim Davey.