Tavistock Pumas 3

OPM 0

THE ladies of the Pumas? mixed hockey team excelled themselves with some exceptional play.

Sharon Jeffrey was dominant in midfield, supplying ball for winger Becky Hutton to make darting runs up the wings and distribute it to perfection for the strike force of Damian Heard and Carl Jeffrey to plunder shots into the defensive wall of OPM.

The deadlock was broken following a swashbuckling run from Mathew Way, allowing a simple flick in on the far post by Nick Andrews. Such was the dominance of fellow midfielders Sally Kilpatrick and Laura Croft, both making their debut and impressive appearances, that the defensive duo of Fiona Dunn and Rob Kirby and goalie Martin Osborne were rarely troubled.

Pumas pushed forward in the second half, the supremacy of John Barrett linking with Mathew Way producing the second goal for Andrews and a thunderous strike by Way from the edge of the D, allowing a comfortable margin from which the opposition were never going to recover.

Roys Rogues 3

Tavistock Pumas 4

IN this keenly fought and exciting game of mixed hockey, the Pumas salvaged a win to lift them into second place of the Plymouth and District Division One

championship.

The ball flowed smoothly from end to end, keeping both keepers on their toes as it was skilfully moved down both wings as well as up the middle of the pitch.

Individual breathtaking runs by Carl Jeffrey and the quality flair of Mathew Way did not overshadow tremendous runs by Emma Bowden on the right, who linked superbly with Sharon Jeffrey.

Damian Heard was influential in the strike force with winger Nick Andrews and substitute Chris Wilson providing good crosses.

Goals in the first half by Carl Jeffrey and Heard provided a cushion and the defence of John Barrett and Steff Mills, marshalled by captain Fiona Dunn, brought heroic saves by keeper Martin Osborne.

But Roys Rogues levelled the scores with two unstoppable shots. This spurred the Pumas into action and driving runs by Jeffrey, Way, Bowden and Barrett allowed Heard to snap in his second to restore a slender lead.

Roys Rogues pressed forward and managed a bobbling strike that jumped over keeper Osborne?s foot to level the score with three minutes to go.

Not prepared to accept a draw, Way drove deep into the opposition half, interlinked with Jeffrey and Heard and snatched upon a loose ball to slot it into the goalmouth to secure a deserved win for the Pumas side.