Taunton CS Maintain Current Standard

The starting line-up saw Joe Hayes in goal, Harry Elsmore on right back with Dan Green on the other side, with Jim Smith and Ali Johnston in the centre of defence. James Coles took his regular defensive midfield position and Simon Jones in the Attacking Midfield position, with Ben Witt starting on the left and Jack Daly on the right. Mark Sawyer and Lee Slade were the two strikers. Skipper Fin Porter, already tired from having to collect an oversleeping Harry Elsmore, started on the side.

With the rain coming in as the CS side left home, it looked like they would be playing a game under darker skies, however as they headed to the coast the sun game out, leaving a normally nice pitch wet, fast and some strikers might say “a little slippery”.

5 minutes into the game and a strong looking CS passed the ball around the centre and then straight through the D to find Ben Witt on the back post who promptly put away his first of the season. The next 10 minutes did not look to be so clear cut for CS, with Sidmouth and Ottery’s midfield demonstrating that they were fitter and younger than the CS side they were facing up against and before long Sidmouth had scored the equaliser.

A tense first half was kept going, with attempts from both teams to break the deadlock, until a foot on the line denied Simon Jones from scoring from a short corner and a penalty flick was given to CS. Simon then took up position on the penalty spot before bulleting the ball passed the keeper making it 2-1 with 7 minutes to go.

Only a couple of minutes before the whistle was blown for half time, a drag flick from Simon Jones from a short corner flew passed the keeper for his second goal of the game.

The second half was not as close, as CS found their feet, or more accurately found their passing rhythm. Still being out run by the Sidmouth side down the pitch, CS focused on their counter attacking, leading to a goal from Lee Slade from a super pass from Jack Daly, a goal for Mark Sawyer in similar fashion from a pass from Harry Elsmore. While some would ask what Harry Elsmore was doing so far from the defensive line, Skipper Fin Porter definitely wasn’t complaining after a ball put on a Sidmouth foot from the sleepy teen sat up in front of the captain who swept the ball into the bottom right from the top of the D.

With some confusion around an incident that appeared to have included a Sidmouth defender wiping out Jim Smith who was stopping the ball for Simon Jones during a short corner - even though no-one else on the pitch saw it happen - lead to a second short corner, this one converted by Simon Jones for his hat-trick for the game.
Some more confusion followed as a counter attacking Sidmouth player kicked the ball while trying to skin Harry Elsmore, which unlike the previous incident, everyone on the pitch apart from the umpires saw, leaving Joe Heinz - who had been having almost unblemished game so far - half heartedly watching on waiting for the whistle and then watching as the Sidmouth player put the goal in the net and the umpires pointed to the centre spot.

Ben Witt, the unsung hero of the CS team, always at training (unless Man U are playing) and putting the effort in every week for the first team, demonstrated his prowess with the ball after running circles around the Sidmouth midfield, then their defenderes before hammering his second goal of the game from the top of the D.

Final Score: Taunton CS wins 8-2.

Man of the Match was awarded to Jack Daly for his effort on the pitch, playing every position in midfield, giving 100%, the connection of pass after pass with good pace and his continuing pressure put on the Sidmouth side.

Honourable Mention to Harry Elsmore, who had a fantastic game all over the pitch, defending and attacking well, with several assists as well. Had he not forgotten that he was supposed to be playing hockey and had to be woken up and then picked up by the skipper, this honourable mention may well have been the Man of the Match.

DotD was awarded to Lee Slade. While several players had mentioned that the pitch was a little slick with the rain, Lee managed to end nearly all of his attacking movements lying in the Sidmouth D. The pinnacle of this was an attempted reverse hit from the striker finding nothing more than about 2 meters towards the keeper while Lee found the floor with his face, leading to a self-substation from a dead-leg.