Tavistock Pumas 3

Torbay Strikers 4

THE Pumas? mixed summer hockey league team produced a sterling and spirited performance against the league champions and were unlucky not to come away with a draw.

A tentative game saw few opportunities for strikes on goal as defences on both teams stifled out attacking opportunities.

Scintillating performances by midfielders Mathew Way, John Barrat and Sharon Jeffrey kept the ball moving, allowing darting runs by forwards Lisa Butler and Carl Jeffrey.

Torbay took the lead, only to have this shortly cancelled out by a superb strike on the edge of the D by winger Nick Andrews.

The second half opened in a more attacking vein by the opposition and despite tremendous defending by Fiona Dunn, supported by Steff Mills, Kathy Collar and Rob Kirby, Torbay opened up a two-goal advantage.

A reshuffle in the Puma formation responded with Mathew Way firing home a goal to give the Pumas hope, only for Torbay to restore their two-goal advantage following a quick break and a classic reverse stick strike that caught the stranded defence out.

The Pumas rallied with Lisa Butler having an outstanding performance alongside Carl Jeffrey, leading the attack, allowing Way to slot home his second.