Saturday, March 10

The GoCrea8 Hockey League

Southern Two

Bude 6

THOMAS Hall scored a second-half hat-trick as Bude thrashed Tavistock A to all but confirm their survival.

The home side survived an early scare from the visitors and this sparked Bude into life. Not long after the deadlock was broken as Jared Slade was in the right place to finish in style with an instinctive reverse snapshot which went low into the bottom corner.

Bude moved the ball around comfortably and were soon 2-0 up as a slick team goal that saw the ball ping most poetically around the whole pitch was met by Henry Gywnn-Thomas as he slid in at full stretch to slot the ball in at the back-post.

Just as things were going well a mix up in defence combined with a failed clearance allowed the Tavistock striker a shot on goal which was duly placed between goalkeeper Andy Davis’ legs to give Tavistock some hope.

However this glimmer of hope did not last long as Bude were awarded a short corner when a shot hit the defenders foot, David Woodward made no mistake with a simple flick into the bottom corner from the top of the D to restore their two-goal lead at half-time.

The second-half was inspired as Bude played some of their best hockey of the season as the whole team moved the ball around with a swagger and elegance that would only result in more goals.

Slade and Jon Elliot dominated the left-hand side; combining on multiple occasions to give Bude an excellent attacking platform and it was Hall who made the most of it by earning himself a superb second half hat-trick with an impressive array of finishes.

With two games left and sat in fifth place, Bude are still not yet safe but know that a performance like that at Caradon on Saturday will be more than enough see them guarantee survival!

West Clubs Women’s Hockey League

South Division

Exe 3 3

Bude 4

BUDE are now four points clear of second-bottom Okehampton after winning a seven-goal thriller at Exe 3.

Cara Phillips’ brilliant strike put the visitors ahead before makeshift striker Grace Chan’s finished off a fine passing move to make it 2-0.

Although Exe pulled a goal back before the break, Bude went 3-1 up when Emily Shepherd took captain Anna Bury’s pass before weaving her way defence to fire home.

Exe refused to lie down and pulled a goal back from a short corner before Chan added her second of the afternoon following fine work from Charlotte Prime and Shepherd down the right-hand side.

The home side grabbed a consolation late on but Bude held on ahead of this weekend’s visit of White Eagles to Budehaven Sports Centre.

Skipper Anna Bury was delighted, saying: “We were thrilled, we put in a strong performance throughout the game and today was a great team effort and we were rewarded for strong pace throughout the game and sticking to our gameplan.”

Bude —

Pomeroy, Chan, E Shepherd, L Shepherd, James, Old, Maloney, Phillips, Prime, Shears, Bury (captain)