West Dorset 5 – Bridgwater 1
Wakely Sets West On Fire.
With over a month passing since West Dorset played a competitive game of
hockey and there was a lot of pre-match tension ahead of their first game of
2010 at the Colfox School fortress.
The brief return of James King to bolster the midfield was welcomed as this
allowed dribbling wizard Alexander Davies to play in his favoured right wing
position. With the strongest squad fielded this season skipper May felt
confident his team would hold.
With new kit kindly sponsored by Martin Cox of Highlands End Holiday Park,
West Dorset looked resplendent in the mid afternoon sun. From the pushback
West had the dream start with Russ Coombes winning a short corner which
Connolly mercilessly hammered into the goal. Bridgwater barley had time to
recover their wits when a deft ball from Alex Davies on the wing slipped to
King who accurately flicked the ball between the charging keeper’s legs.
After this onslaught Bridgwater gathered themselves and were unlucky not to
score twice with a horrific defensive blunders and miscommunications – only
the speed and bravery of Rob Cox putting himself on the line in last second
to make crucial tackles.
West punished Bridgwater’s over commitment in attack when Richard Puzey hit
a pin-point 60 yard pass that was deflected by Bugg to Wakley who
brilliantly manoeuvred himself with intricate footwork to lash the ball
first time past the keepers head into the eaves of the goal before he had
time to blink. West found their stride and Bridgewater crumbled under the
relentless pressure again when Puzey converted a neat pass from Brooking at
the top of the D on the stroke of half time.
At 4 nil up West made the mistake of relaxing early on allowing Bridgwater
to take the gloss off the result.
To Bridgwater’s credit they battled hard making it difficult for the home
team but in the remaining five minutes short corner specialist Wakely found
the goal again with a laser like shot to take West to second in the league
table.
Team: May, Davies, Davies, Brooking, Connolly, Coombes, King, Bugg, Smith,
Puzey, Cox, Wakely. Umpires D.Foot, M.May
