Having not played for four weeks, due to the inclement weather, Ottery Crickets Ladies 2nd XI were full of energy and were raring to have a good run out.

Glad to be playing a 'friendly' match, Ottery surprised themselves as to how fit they felt! Although some skills and passing were slightly rusty, Ottery soon found their stride and rhythm by pressurising the Taunton Vale goal.

As always, Norma Rich dominated the midfield and switched the ball well to the wings where Chris Chapman, Hannah Carden and Katie Parr pushed the Taunton Vale defence to their limits. Furthermore, Ali Tierney worked tirelessly in the centre to produce attacking play worthy of a goal.

Ottery Crickets found that not everything went their own way, the defence was called into action quite a few times. Sophie Hudson, who was standing in as goalie, certainly proved how versatile she is; the saves she made were outstanding. Mary Acland, Sami Parke, Chris Hellier and Caren Flicker kept their cool in defence by displaying their many years of experience which, much to Taunton Vale's dismay, kept the visiting forward line at bay.

Finally, the breakthrough came late on in the second half where a misfired strike from Jane Roberts during a short corner routine gave Maisie Pritchard the opportunity to score. This result has boosted Ottery Cricket's confidence in preparation for their next league match against local rivals, Sidmouth.