Sidmouth and Ottery C team produced a superb all-round performance to defeat visiting table-topping West Dorset A 3-1.

A key to the success was careful team selection and that produced a winning formula!

Sidmouth and Ottery (SOHC) began well putting the opposition under early pressure. Midway through the first half an SOHC short corner which was initially miss hit by Stewart Vincent the second attempt however, was well placed and beat the visiting goalkeeper.

West Dorset hit back with a goal that was, at the time, against the run of play. There began a period of end to end hockey that might have seen the game go either way. To their credit, SOHC dug deep and, with some find defending from Rob Dockley, Nigel Dupain and Ronnie Moore, denied the visitors time and space whilst front pairing Callum Lefevre and Nick Mansfield caused a lot of problems for the West Dorset defence.

It was Mansfield who got on the end of a sweeping move to fire the hosts into a 2-1 lead.

The points were sealed when defender Peter Rider, lurking on the edge of the West Dorset D, drilled a well struck shot into the corner of the net.

This was without doubt a fine all-round show in which SOHC C played some of their best hockey so far this season to bank three evaluable points.