Callington Ladies 3
Tavistock Ladies 5
THIS pre-season friendly was played on the all-weather pitch at Callington in driving rain and blustery conditions.
Tavistock got off to a good start and were soon on the attack. Robyn Hammond and Rachel Kelly were strong in midfield and used wingers Donna Hone and Kirsty Jones well.
The ball was played wide and Hone coolly controlled and slotted home. The second goal came from hard battling from Jones, who found striker Donna Weeks and Tavistock went further into the lead.
Callington continued to battle and looked dangerous on the break. Zoe Stock was kept busy with a flurry of activity and made some positive saves. The defence of Shaw, new signing Emily John, Kate Cox and Jo Webber played well and challenges were strong.
Play moved from end to end surprisingly quickly and the defence pushed up too much, leaving Shaw to mark three players. A strong shot left keeper Stock no chance and shortly after an unfortunate own goal levelled the score.
The second half showed the strength Tavistock have achieved by their weekly fitness sessions and although they conceded a further goal the belief in themselves grew. A free kick was awarded some 30 yards out but Hammond managed to find the back of the net to level the score.
Tavistock continued to pile on the pressure and Weeks broke through after a fine move from midfield and a slide-rule pass from the wing. The shot was placed into the corner of the net and Tavistock regained the lead.
Becky Gordon was rewarded with a well deserved goal after constant running and battling. Ali Hurley ably took over the midfield role for the second time when Hammond went off injured and Tania Coker ran her socks off in defence when a last five-minute flurry pounded the Tavistock goal area.
Player of the match: Hollie Shaw.
The ladies have been promoted to the premier division this season and are sponsored by Dartmoor Photographic. They hope to be sporting their new kit for the first fixture of the season. Training balls have been sponsored by Curves but the ladies would still like a sponsor for some training tops. Call Sue Hammond on 07786 962402.