FOLLOWING their first defeat of the season, Caradon were eager to bounce back to winning form and did so with a comeback victory at Exeter in Division One South of the West Hockey League on Saturday afternoon, demonstrating great will power and resilience in the process.

The home side dominated play and possession in the early stages providing Caradon with little chance of progressing up the field.

The Devonians soon broke the deadlock after a scramble in the visitors’ D, and Exeter capitalised on low moral and organisation from Caradon and extended their lead shortly after.

The next goal was crucial and thankfully for the Cornish side, they began to find their fight and tightened their press.

Thomas Haigh tackled an unsuspecting defender before firing a pin-point pass to Ben Hedley in the D who calmly slotted it in past the oncoming keeper.

Going into half-time one goal behind, Caradon felt back in the game.

A more even start to the second half gave both sides chances and opened the pitch up.

Exeter again struck first with a penalty corner goal to go 3-1 up, but the thought of two losses on the bounce spurred Caradon on and from then on the relentless pressure from the away side eventually wore down the hosts. At the other end, the back line held strong and limited Exeter’s circle entries. Thoughtful distribution under pressure pushed Caradon up the pitch.

A number of circle entries led to penalty corners, two of which were flicked into the goal by Tyler Walsh to bring the score level.

Unsatisfied, Caradon kept hounding the home defenders which paid dividends when Ben Hedley drove towards goal on the right-hand side and lifted the ball over the keeper’s shoulder to put the Yellows 4-3 up.

In the end, Caradon’s fitness outshone Exeter’s technical play and ran them into the ground.

To secure the win the yellows scored a fifth as Evan Spencer pounced on a loose ball amid a goal mouth scramble.

Tyler Walsh was named man-of-the-match for the visitors who have a superb record of 10 victories from their 11 starts and sit six points clear of second-placed Bristol & West.

The Cornishmen now take a break from league action until January 17 when they host Old Bristolians.

Caradon Seconds hosted Plymouth Lions Thirds in Piran Division One and drew 3-3 in a match where they twice led but were unable to hold on.

After the visitors opened the scoring, Ben Pennington-Ridge equalised with a forceful finish. Continued pressure resulted in Fenton Robins putting Caradon ahead before Plymouth Lions levelled just before half-time.

Excellent goalkeeping from Joel Tamblyn kept Caradon competitive, while strong performances from Drew Champion and Mike Parkinson drove the team forward.

A precise pass from Drew Champion allowed Jon Pennington-Ridge to restore the lead, but a late Lions goal ensured the points were shared.

The thirds travelled to Plymouth Lions Fourths in Piran Division Two with a reduced squad, with support from additional players to bolster numbers.

The team competed well during the first half but fell behind from a short corner just before the interval. Despite focusing on possession and structured play after the break, Caradon were unable to convert their chances and conceded twice more.

The squad delivered a committed performance despite the challenging circumstances.