CARADON’S men’s sides enjoyed another excellent weekend to start November, with both teams putting in hard-fought performances at Lux Park that showcased the depth, determination, and spirit running through the club.

The thirds were first up, hosting Duchy Seconds in Piran Division One in a rearranged fixture that proved to be a close and competitive encounter.

Both sides fielded a mix of players from across their squads, and it made for an evenly balanced and entertaining contest played in great spirit.

Caradon started brightly, showing composure on the ball and strong teamwork throughout the midfield and defensive lines.

After sustained pressure, Carl Jeffery opened the scoring with a well-taken finish, putting the home side ahead. The momentum continued as Caradon moved the ball fluidly through the channels, and Liam Champion doubled the lead with a sharp strike to make it 2–0.

As Duchy pressed to get back into the game, Caradon’s defensive unit stood firm, with composed play and good structure keeping the visitors at bay.

The result reflected a strong team performance, with the thirds showing discipline, work-rate and togetherness throughout.The man-of-the-match award was deservedly shared between Glen Young, Daniel Harvey, and Isaac Moulds for their excellent contributions across the pitch.

Next up, the thirds welcome Newquay on Saturday in what promises to be another exciting home fixture.

Meanwhile, the firsts produced a thrilling 5-4 victory over Clifton Robinsons Seconds in the opening round of the England Hockey Tier 2 Trophy – an outstanding performance against higher-league opposition from the West Premier Division.

Caradon made a dream start at Lux Park, taking the lead when a broken penalty corner was recycled smartly to Tyler Walsh, who finished firmly past the scrambling keeper.

The visitors responded strongly, scoring twice from penalty corners before adding a third from a fierce reverse hit to lead 3-1.

Undeterred, Caradon showed real character to fight back. After excellent link-up play, Chris Fasey’s drive and reverse effort created chaos in the D, allowing Walsh to pounce for his second of the match, reducing the deficit to one before the break.

The second half saw Caradon in full flow, lifted by strong home support.

Clifton dropped deep to protect their lead, but sustained pressure finally paid off when an early free-hit was fired across goal for Ben Reynolds to dive in and level the score at 3-3.

Caradon’s confidence grew, and they soon took the lead when Ben Hedley drove down the left and squared for Will Turpin to slide in a deft deflection.

Clifton equalised again from a penalty corner with just minutes remaining, but Caradon weren’t done yet.

With the game heading towards a shoot-out, Nathan Jeffery fired a free hit towards the far post, where Turpin once again provided the crucial deflection to seal a dramatic 5-4 win.

It was a superb all-round team performance full of resilience, skill, and determination — a result that sends Caradon through to the next round, away to South Berkshire.

The man-of-the-match award went to Tyler Walsh.