Sidmouth and Ottery Hockey Club (SOHC) men’s 1st XI maintained their grip on a Southern One top two berth as they defeated PGSOB 5-0.

SOHC started well and, after a period of composed play around the field and high pressure from the forwards, Nick Mansfield turned sharply in the D before drilling the ball home to open the scoring.

The lead was then doubled following more slick passing, with George Harvey Powell displaying calm nerves before finding the back of the net.

The third goal came late in the first half and it was made by Henry Mutter, who played a pin-point pass to the penalty spot where George Mutter turned the ball home.

A 3-0 half-time lead was no more than SOHC deserved.

After the break, PGSOB clearly knew they had to score the game’s ‘next’ goal and they came out with all guns blazing and adopted a half court ‘press’ that put SOHC under pressure.

However, the back line, and particularly the central defence, was more than equal to the challenge and, when Josh Miller spotted a gap, the ball was played to Nick Mansfield on the 23-metre line and he drew in the defender before slipping the ball to Jack Ellison on the back post and he applied a clinical finish.

PGSOB then threw everything at a concerted effort to find a goal of their own, but, in leaving just two players, it opened them up to a counter-attack and, when a foul was committed within the D, a short corner was won and Lee Clayden completed the scoring with a far post sweep.

George Mutter was named as the SOHC Man of the Match for his terrific shift of controlling the play from a midfield berth.