Torbay 4, Sidmouth and Ottery 4 For the second week running SOHCs senior XI took on the team topping the Southern One table.

After back-to-back wins the team travelled in good spirits.

However, the early exchanges were anything but confident from the SOHC perspective a they fell two down to early strikes from the home side.

The first goal came when a short corner was deflected into the top corner. The second arrived when, despite a superb save by keeper Jonty Hoare the ball was not cleared off his pads and was slammed into the back of the net.

SOHC dug deep and began to build a rhythm and work their way back into the contest. They won a number of short corners and were a boot away from halving the deficit when the ball fell to Rick Robinson, but his miss-timed shot saw the ball crash into his boot rather than the goal!

The action switched to the opposite end and a third goal form the home side put them in full control.

Hope began to arise when skipper Jim Harris scored after a low and powerful drag flick to send SOHN into the break just two down.

After some inspirational words from Ian Brown and a demand from Jim Harris to up the intensity and speed in their play during the half-time talk, SOHC began the second period on the front foot and thanks to a Mikey Bell goal.

The home team started to lose their composure and then conceded a penalty flick. Bell confidently stepped up to see his flick saved by the home team goalie. However, the umpires stepped in and asked for the flick to be re-taken; judging the goalie had moved too early and Bell calmly slotted his flick into the corner of the goal to level things up at 3-3!

SOHC were now on top and they began to dominate possession and kept the pressure on the home side, but Torbay weren’t completely out of the game and won a series of 5 short corners in a row, these all successfully defended. A loss of discipline saw the home team reduced to ten men through a yellow card to one of their forwards, but that did not prevent them regaining the lead after another short corner routine.

A bad tackle was punished leaving the home side down to nine players and SOHC took advantage levelling at 4-4 with Bell completing a slick hat-trick.

The drama was not finished for when Ade Brooker got his marching orders SOHC played the last few minutes a man short.

Tomorrow (Saturday) SOHC face Dart at Sidmouth College with a 1.30pm start.