West Hill Wasps Under-8s had mixed fortunes in matches against Pinhoe Spartans and Raiders.

Wasps travelled to Exeter for the games and under the guidance of stand-in novice coach Simon Dunstan and first up was a meeting with Raiders.

Wasps, playing in a chilly wind, but on a much former than of late surface, began well. The opening goal owed much to the slick passing and ball skills of Henry Fenner who found Noah Martin with a pin-point cross-field pass and when he crossed into the area Hugo Dennison applied a clinical finish. It was a goal born out of hard work on the training ground!

Boosted by the goal, Wasps began to play with even greater confidence.

Terrific inter-play and movement off the ball led to further goals Charlie Williams and Sam Smart, leaving Wasps 3-0 up at the break.

At the start of the second half there was some amusement as the ‘stand-in’ coach (more familiar with his great work in rugby), seemed to have put more players onto the pitch than the 7-a-side game permits!

However, once sorted Wasps were quickly back into their stride and more slick passing led to a second goal from young Sam Smart.

With Jake Dunstan somewhat underemployed in the Wasps goal throughout the first half, the second half goal keeping duties were taken on by Matthew Hogan, but he too had little to do. Much of that was down to the superb collective efforts of defenders Ben Major and Noah Martin.

There was one further goal, scored by Charlie Williams to complete a thoroughly satisfactory performance and a 5-0 success.

The second match proved to be a very different proposition with Pinhoe Spartans proving to be a formidable side.

Ben Major and Mathew Hogan shared the goal keeping duties and both were busy throughout! Tom Mackay and Jake Dunstan carried out their defensive duties in grand style and, despite falling behind early on, Wasps battled back and a long pass from Rory Oram-Evennett was taken on by Charlie Williams and when he fed the ball to Sam Smart he provided a clinical finish. The Tiverton side have quality and they regained the lead just before the break.

Spartans began the second half strongly and quickly added two further goals to extend their lead to 4-1. Indeed, but for the terrific goalkeeping of Rory Oram-Evenett, the score would have been a lot bigger. Henry Fenner and Hugo Dennison did their best to try and get Wasps back into and they did help orchestrate a late second, again scored by young Smart, but the Tiverton side took the match honours 4-2.

Stand-in coach Simon Dunstan said: “All in all I felt the lads did very well against very good – and welcoming – opposition. Everybody involved put a lot in and they all seemed to get plenty of enjoyment from the action. As for Player of the Day, that has to be hard call. Rory Oram-Evenett’s ‘rugby style’ goalkeeping made him a contender, but, for me, Sam Smart bagged it for his four goal haul on the morning.”

This Saturday (March 12) Wasps head for Sampford Peverell for meetings with Crediton Youth and Moors Madrid.