Ottery Crickets A 2, ECV Hornets B 3 A win in the pre-season friendlies for Ottery Crickets B against the higher ECV Hornets team set up a great encounter between these two sides.

Ottery Crickets A 2, ECV Hornets B 3A win in the pre-season friendlies for Ottery Crickets B against the higher ECV Hornets team set up a great encounter between these two sides. The ECV team started well and were quick on the counterattack. Ottery dealt with it and, between the defensive midfielders and the backline, kept them at bay. ECV won a short-corner which was slipped and placed into the corner of the goal. Ottery didn't change their tactics and kept at it with some good attacking play, with the wingers Ali Slade and young Archie Fraser holding the ball and using the width well. Ottery lacked incision in the last third of the pitch, and shooting opportunities were not as frequent as they'd have liked. This proved costly as another short-corner was converted for ECV after a foul in the D, 2-0 to the visitors. Towards the end of the first half Ottery won a short-corner through good play by Sam Bowker. The ball was pushed out cleanly by Slade and thumped through the keeper's legs by Karl Snell to make it 2-1. Ottery were determined to turn the game around but both teams had early second half chances.Jon Dutton set the pace in the middle of the field for Ottery. Just when the home side looked threatening towards goal, ECV were awarded yet another short-corner which resulted in hitting a foot on the line for a penalty flick. The flick was fired down the middle of the goal at about waist height for a routine stop for the Ottery keeper Neale Frood. The game continued with both teams battling hard, but a soft goal was scored by ECV in open play to make it 3-1. Ottery just could not break through the ECV defence, but eventually a quick break towards the end of the second half resulted in another short-corner. Slade pushed in, and again Snell smashed one past the keeper and defender on the line into the left corner, 3-2. This was the final score after a frustrating afternoon for Ottery Crickets A. Ottery are now ninth in the league and play Exe away next week in a bid to win their first away game of the season.