Review of the weekend fixtures

Most of the teams from Sidmouth and Ottery Hockey Club returned to action after Lockdown 2 at the weekend but the pandemic is still heavily influencing the fixture list, with new rules coming into force.

With restrictions now in place, where players cannot travel together to a game unless they are from the same household or the same support bubble, which does not include school or any other bubbles, fielding a side could become more challenging.

Both the women’s and men’s first teams had their fixtures for Saturday, December 5 postponed, with the men having been due to travel to Exeter University and the women due to have been away at Clifton Robinsons 4.

The men’s seconds fulfilled a home fixture against a strong Minehead team but went down 1-5. The team had a competitive first half, with a goal from Daniel Devine levelling the scores after the away side had taken the lead. But in the second half, Minehead scored four goals, which could have been more but for JJ Newman in goal, who pulled off several fine saves.

The men’s third team ran out as easy winners in their league encounter with the men’s fourth team, with a scoreline of 0-8. Although the fourth team competed during parts of the match, the strength of the third team shone through, with goals from Richard Lucas, Matthew Offer-hoar and Charlie Piper.

On the women’s side of the club, the second team won a closely fought game at home to Exeter and Culm Vale Hornets (ECVH), coming away as 1-0 winners. The third team did not fare so well in their away fixture against Isca and Exeter Uni 5, losing 9-0 but the women’s fourth team claimed a point against Honiton Hornets, in a high scoring home game that ended 4-4.

This weekend, on the women’s side of the club, only the fourth team are due to play a friendly home fixture against White Eagles 3, while the men’s first-team home fixture against Firebrands A has been postponed, the second team travel to Taunton Vale D, the third team have a home fixture against Isca E and the fourth team travel to Yeovil and Sherborne B.

All fixtures remain subject to clubs being able field teams under the Covid-19 restrictions and as a result of the recent lockdown, many fixtures were postponed, which are currently listed as needing to be rearranged.