Sidmouth and Ottery Hockey Club (SOHC) men’s first team played a double header weekend.

The two days of action ended with a win and a narrow defeat.

First up was a Saturday trip to Team Bath C where the team served up a superb all-round performance that saw them to a 2-1 victory and took them off the foot of the table!

Against a well-organised Bath side, SOHC began well and dominated what was a ‘scrappy’ first 20 minutes.

Playing some patient hockey, and despite dominating in most areas of the pitch, SOHC fell behind.

However, they fully deserved the equaliser, scored by Nick Mansfield and then struck a last minute winner with Sam Cortinhas the scorer.

The following day, boosted by the win at Bath, the team took to the Sidmouth pitch knowing that a win over City of Bath A would guarantee the teams status in Central One for next season.

The contest began with both sides unable to break down the others impressive defence.

Early on, the umpires set a precedent about stick tackles and Sam Cortinhas was issued with a green card.

That proved to be the lone talking point of a first half that failed to produce a goal at either end.

After the break, the visitors broke the deadlock, but not without the help of a fortunate defelction.

The SOHC response was positive and parity was swiftly restored via a penalty corner deflected home by Lee Clayden.

Once level. SOHC went in search of a second and were the dominant force throughout the remainder of the game. However, try as they did to muster one more goal, they were caught by a slick counter and goal for Bath C best described as one of the ‘scrappy’ variety.

With so much depending on the outcome of the contest the play became frenetic and cards began to be issued!

Ali Slade bagged a card for a poor tackle and young Cortinhas picke dup one for dissent.

However, if the home discipline was questionable, then the away side’s was much worse as they picked up no fewer than nine players picking up three yellow cards each during the final 15 minutes of play!

All on duty for SOHC in the Sunday game deserve plenty of praise, with special praise going to Jack Ellison, George Powell and Henry Mutter who all stepped up from the club’s second team and all did well, Mutter being named Man of the Match.

The outcome of the two-game weekend that saw the team bag the Saturday success is that this Saturday’s final match of the league campaign is one where a win over visitors Old Bristol, who sit sixth, and SOHC will keep their place in the division.

Central One table before the final round of matches on March 25

P W D L GDPts

Marlborough 21 18 2 1 42 56

Team Bath C 21 13 3 5 27 42

Bristol Uni B 21 10 5 6 15 35

Mid Somerset 21 9 3 9 -6 30

Firebrands B 21 8 4 9 4 28

Old Bristol 21 7 4 10 1 25

Robinsons B 21 7 4 10 -10 25

City of Bath A** 21 8 6 7 -9 23

Sid. & Ottery 21 7 1 13 -15 22

Westbury & UB A 21 5 6 10 -11 21

Wootton Bass 21 6 3 12 -18 21

Taunton Vale B 21 6 3 12 -20 21