Sidmouth and Ottery Hockey Club (SOHC) men’s 4th XI rd XI were beaten 4-2 by visiting Taunton Vale E.

With a number of regulars called up into the club's third XI, the team were boosted by the return of Phil and Elliott Bowyer.

In what was, at times, a bad tempered affair, the visitors struck first, turning home a well-worked short corner from close range. Parity was swiftly restored when Rich Lucas continued his rich vein of scoring, netting a pass from Phil Bowyer.

It was the same combination that saw SOHC into a 2-1 lead with Bowyer first brilliantly reading and intercepting a Vale pass deep in their half before playing in Lucas to net his second. The Somerset side hit back and Dan Weedon made a superb double save to deny them leaving SOHC to troop off at the break with a narrow lead.

Early in the second half, referee Guy Rudolph was forced to speak with both team captains about their players actions as the game became very fractious!

The away side levelled from a penalty flick, awarded after a home foot had blocked the ball on the goal line. Taunton Vale then edged ahead with a goal from a short corner and, as SOHC pushed players forward, the visiting side scored a fourth with a slick counter attack. Special mention must go to the parts played by Guy Rudolph and Jon Mutter, who offered real quality of umpiring in a contest that certainly gave the officials plenty to do!