TAVISTOCK AFC Under-23s produced a ruthless display on the evening of Wednesday, October 22, brushing aside Lydford 8–0 in a commanding performance that showcased their attacking flair and teamwork.

Forward Aaron Hughes led the charge with a brilliant hat-trick, while substitute Sam Short struck twice late on to cap off a dominant night for the young Lambs.

It took just five minutes for Tavistock to open the scoring when Harry Symons collected the ball on the left and sent a looping effort from outside the box, dipping over the goalkeeper and into the far corner — a stunning goal that set the tone for the evening.

Tavistock’s clinical passing and movement through the thirds continued to slice open the Lydford defence. Hughes doubled the advantage in the 25th minute with a composed finish after a slick build-up and added his second ten minutes later to make it 3–0.

Moments before the break, Jason Hoar produced a moment of brilliance — unleashing a thunderous drive from just inside the Lydford half after a corner was cleared only as far as him. His strike flew into the bottom corner, leaving the home goalkeeper rooted as Tavistock went into the interval with a commanding 4–0 lead.

The visitors picked up where they left off after the restart, with Hughes completing his hat-trick in the 50th minute following another flowing attacking move.

A penalty in the 65th minute, won by Joe Short, allowed Jayden Pope to step up and confidently slot home Tavistock’s sixth of the night. Substitute Sam Short then made an instant impact, heading home in the 85th minute before adding his second moments later to seal an emphatic 8–0 win.

It was a comprehensive and ruthless team performance from Tavistock U23s, who controlled possession throughout and combined attacking flair with relentless energy.

The young Lambs will hope to continue their fine form when they travel to face Future Stars at Devonport High School for Boys on Saturday, with kick-off at 12:30pm.

Meanwhile, Tavistock AFC Women showed spirit as they fell to a 6-1 defeat against Elm Fusion.

Tavistock AFC Women opened brightly on Sunday, with debutant Kim Benny marking her first appearance in style — firing home after just five minutes to give the visitors an early lead.

Elm Fusion hit back midway through the first half, equalising with a well-taken volley from a corner before capitalising again shortly after when Tavistock were unable to clear their lines. The hosts went into the break 2–1 ahead despite Tavistock’s determined display.

The second half began in tough fashion for the Lambs, as Elm struck twice within the opening five minutes to extend their advantage. The quick double proved a hammer blow, and although Tavistock continued to battle and create chances, Elm added two more late goals to round off a 6–1 scoreline.

Despite the result, Tavistock showed real spirit and teamwork, with plenty of positives to take forward.

Player of today’s match goes to Kayla Spring.

Coming on as a second-half substitute, Kayla made an immediate impact — showing great energy in defence with strong marking, constant pressure, and repeatedly shutting down Elm Fusion’s right winger to prevent crosses into the box.

It was a tough call for Player of the Match as everyone put in a great shift. The 6–1 scoreline wasn’t a fair reflection of how Tavistock played — but that’s football.

On to Plympton next week in the Cup at Manadon — we keep getting better every game.