Gerrard Hockey League
South Central District 1
Okehampton 1
Marjon of Plymouth 0
PLAYING a student side is always a speedy affair and the ball and players were soon being pulled all around the park.
The midfield were worked hard in the first quarter, Mike Reynolds and Simon Bourne gladly utilising the rolling sub system.
Richard Jones in the centre was sure and steady, frustrating the opposition with crisp tackling and distributing accurate balls down the channels.
Keith Webber and Phil Mellor worked well on the wing helping give good shape and width to a resurgent Okehampton.
Mark Parsons, quiet by his standards, kept his cool in a fiercely contested D, working hard to win penalty corners for the home side.
Sustained pressure resulted in the deadlock being broken halfway through the first half when a ball fired in from the left was struck by Tim Morgan, who unsighted, made sure it was buried in the back of the opposition goal.
The second half started again at pace with Marjon exploiting weaknesses in the Okehampton system. Good defence from man of the match John Jarvis and Darren Phare kept the waves of attack at bay.
Marjon won a considerable number of penalty corners, but thanks to solid defence, marshalled by Dave Dennis and sweeper Colin Lethbridge, they never broke through.
Okehampton were unable to capitalise on the many counter-attacking opportunities they had; the final ball in the last third of the pitch was a little disappointing. Captain Nick Kearley ensured Okehampton remained undefeated this season by making a dramatic, lightning reaction, save in the dying moments.