MINEHEAD Men's Hockey Club 1sts hosted Bristol Firebrands and yet again came out competitive runners up in a well spirited 7-3 contest which included three penalty strokes.

Some wayward passing from Minehead’s defence gifted Firebrands two early goals, which spurred the Seasiders into life, with Hooper opening the tally, and Hill from the spot for the second, to go into the break all-square.

The advantage of a full bench of substitutes saw Firebrands simply wear their opposition down (even Glenmore Bakery Man of the Match Luke Barker) with goals coming at regular intervals. Another Hill penalty closed the gap with ten minutes to go, but poor choices in the D cost Minehead more goals.

With just eight matches to go in this season’s campaign, Minehead need four wins to see them leapfrog fellow strugglers University of Exeter and Sidmouth and secure their place in this league.

The 2s made the trip across the county to face Shepton Mallet 2s. With numbers failing due to agricultural commitments, three players had already assisted in the early 3rd team game, and with just the bare eleven to yet again face a squad of thirteen, the writing was on the wall from the start. Despite the odds, a very close first half saw Minehead end on a 2-1 deficit thanks to an Andrew Covey strike from open play to remind the hosts that they couldn’t afford to relax.

Tireless work from Glenmore Bakery Man of the Match John Clegg as the focus of the attack, assisted on the wings by new man Jolly and Mark Bolland, with Joe Bolton, Bowden, and Rory Capel assisting Covey in the midfield. Tactical changes at the break saw Shepton gain control by closing Clegg out, and the subsequent gaps saw a flurry of very quick one-two breakaway goals to end the match on a 7-1 win for Shepton.

The Thirds made the trip to Bridgwater with a strong-looking side, to face their top of the table 3s. Both sides started well, with phases of excellence from Covey, Fewings, Bowden and Bolton. However it was Bridgwater who sored first from a short corner. Then, rolling back the many years, Richard Darlington collected a flick from Covey, controlled it, and beat the last defender to slot home an equalizer

A second goal from the hosts saw them take a 2-1 lead into the break. The second half saw a run of pressure and short corners for the home team, producing three unanswered goals despite notable saves off the line by skipper Briggs and Glenmore Bakery Man of the Match James Matthews, and safe 5-1 win in what was an enjoyable match, despite the result.