| Match Report |
Caradon travelled to Taunton to take on a team that bullied the Cornish team to a disappointing defeat in the return fixture earlier in the season, so Caradon where determined to show how much they have improved since then. Caradon started the match on the front foot, building in the confidence gained from their previous good performances. A good attack beat the stranded goalkeeper but a last ditch foul by the Taunton defender on the line was punished with a penalty corner instead of the expected penalty stroke much to the surprise of both sets of players, coaches and supporters. The first of many strange umpiring decisions in the game.
Caradon kept their discipline and continued to push forward. Within 10 minutes they broke the deadlock when a Jules Butterworth's reverse strike was deflected nicely over the line by Jess Berry.
Taunton immediately upped the pace and began to move the ball quickly. Daisy Hunn reacted brilliantly to keep their main threat at bay so Taunton continued to switch the play, stretching Caradons defence. Before they had time to catch their breath, Taunton raced to a 2-1 lead with a couple of well worked goals.
As half time approached, a high ball in to the circle was deemed safe and a Taunton forward pounced on the loose ball.
Dejected at half time, Caradon knew they had to come out fighting in the second half to get themselves back in the game. A feeling they have been used to this year, but again they rose to the challenge. Abbi Ingram was battling hard to find space and it was her combination with fellow midfielder Butterworth that freed Clare Mitchell. Her clever pass found Daisy Heal who fired home from the top of the circle to make it 2-3. Now fully back in the game and the team press at maximum Taunton we're struggling to find an outlet but managed to score a break away goal to make it 4-2.
Caradon showed so much courage to continue to compete for every ball and were rewarded when Heal set Berry clear with only the keeper to beat. Berry cooly side stepped the keeper to slot home.
Taunton looked to hang on but it was Caradon who kept piling on the pressure and with 8 minutes remaining equalised when Libby Walsh smartly deflected a Mitchell penalty corner strike.
A brilliant come back, playing with pure determination should have been the final score but in the final frantic 7 minutes Caradon were reduced to 10 players due to a green card and but instead of 2 minutes the umpires failed to bring the player back on for a further 4 minutes. As the player returned to the field Taunton had one final attack on goal and squeezed a reverse strike pass keeper Helen Dellbridge.
Despite the pain of loosing such a close game, the team can be extremely proud of how they competed after a second half where they played some of the best hockey this season. A player of the match performance by captain Amy Batty epitomised the team's efforts who will continue to battle for every point in the remaining games of the season.
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