Sidmouth and Ottery Hockey Club (SOHC) ladies’ first team had the best possible end to the first half of their campaign and head into the winter break sitting fourth in Petroc Division One after a 5-1 win over Newton Abbot.

The hallmark of the performance was one of an all-round team performance in which every player put a full shift in – and then some – from first whistle to last.

The midfield, in which Caroline Biggs, Katie Dean and Rachel Ward were impressive, created numerous chances for attempts on goal.

Aimee Keast, Jasmine Scott and Meg Thompson-Summers were busy throughout, keeping the Newton Abbot defenders on their toes with some good switching and driving runs into the D.

Meg Thompson-Summers scored twice and there was a fine finish from Frankie Forsyth as well as strikes from Katie Dean and Aimee Keast that hit the back of the net courtesy of deflections.

Newton Abbot got one goal back and would have scored more but for two goal-line clearances from Rebecca Bond and one from Hannah Lane together with some solid defending by Jodie Parsons and Hannah Peters.

The Player of the Match award went to Frankie Forsyth. The league action may be off the agenda until after the Christmas break, but there is still a big match to be played with the ladies set for a Devon Trophy quarter-final against Plym Valley at Ottery St Mary on Saturday, December 9 (12.30pm).

The SOHC ladies’ second team battled well before going down 3-0 at Wells.

There were some good individual performances, particularly in midfield from Alice Please and along with some dogged defending from Katie Jackson.