1st Team Vs Dart

North Devon 4 - 0  Dart

North Devon made the best of atrocious weather conditions to comfortably beat Dart and consolidate their position in the top half of the Southern 1 Hockey League. With plenty of games called off due to the weather the reds were keen to play to avoid a complicated rearranged fixture, and their enthusiasm for the game was evident from the start. Early pressure from North Devon resulted in good possession, but few clear chances as conditions made life difficult. With a solid base provided by veterans Mike Cuthbertson and Matt Brown, supplimented by the more dynamic Reuben Windley and Jay Corden, the reds absorbed any attacks from Dart and threw it straight back at them. The pressure on the Dart backline started to show, with Ash Thorne and Guy Cockcroft having glimpses of goal, before a short corner from Cockcroft was generously deflected between the keepers legs by a Dart player. The second half continued in the same manner, and Dart struggled after losing a player to injury in the first half. North Devon soon went two goals to the good, courtesy of a cute finish by Cockcroft, and Dart players started to lose their composure, conceding a penalty flick and two players to the sin bin. Cockcroft duly slotted the penalty flick, completing his hat-trick, and North Devon seemed to relax being up against eight players. There was still time for Ben Andrews to show an outrageous piece of skill, leaving a Dart defender for dead with a cheeky lob before volleying narrowly wide. Joe Hastie also made his presence felt, with a strong challenge to rob the visiting captain of the ball, and the resulting play giving Sam Kirkness his first goal of the year. North Devon saw out the rest of the game in relative comfort, and go to Exeter Hornets next week in good form and spirits.