Bridgwater D 4, Sidmouth & Ottery HC 6

There were 10 goals in the teams’ previous encounter, all scored by SOHC. This time there were the same number of goals but the distribution was significantly different as SOHC scraped home to take their seventh league win on the trot to keep them in the league’s pole position, writes Steve Ellison.

This was a game which SOHC were never really in control of, despite the fact that they scored the first through a great solo effort by Jon Pike, played some decent pass and move to trouble the Bridgwater defence and drew some good saves from the keeper.

After that they found themselves chasing the game which nearly ran away with them when the visitors replied with two goals from unnecessary short corners. Billy Rudolph pulled things back with a hard low slap from short distance, that nutmegged the keeper to make things all-square.

SOHC just could not get to grips with Bridgwater who played way above what you might have expected from their foot-of-the-table league position.

Another Bridgwater short corner resulting from the Sid defence playing too deep put Bridgwater’s nose ahead again. It was Dan Vincent who, later in the game to proved to be the difference in the game, tapped in at the back post. SOHC were awarded a penalty corner for a Bridgwater foot, from which Stewart Vincent scored. Not giving up Bridgwater scored again in open play almost from the restart as SOHC took their foot of the gas. If you’ve lost count, it was 4-4 at this point.

With just 10 minutes to go SOHC pressed a little more, marked a little tighter and started to deliver marginally better ball forward. All this allowed the forward line to start to threaten their opposition’s goal. Dan Vincent edged SOHC ahead slapping home at the back post. SOHC’s last, and game-sealing goal, came from the second phase of a penalty corner where Chris Olive, and at least two Sid players, were waiting at the right post to tap home.

? SOHC 5ths return home to play Chard at Ottery on Sat, Feb 2 at 2pm. Noisy spectators are most welcome.