BEN Hedley notched a hat-trick as Caradon progressed into round three of the England Hockey Mixed Cup on Sunday with a 6-2 victory at Exeter.

The Cornish outfit started brightly and opened the scoring through Hedley, who finished off a slick team move involving several quick passes.

Exeter responded well, equalising before taking the lead, but Caradon showed composure and determination.

Katie Oliver finished confidently at the far post to level the scores, and just before half-time Alex Maudsley produced a crucial penalty stroke save to keep the match finely balanced.

The second half belonged to Caradon. Calm in possession and disciplined defensively, they restricted Exeter’s chances and took control. Tyler Walsh restored the lead with a well-taken goal from a tight angle, before Hedley added his second after rounding the goalkeeper.

As Exeter pushed forward in search of a way back into the game, space opened up for Caradon to exploit. Hedley completed an impressive hat trick with a clinical finish, and a late goal from Walsh, following good link-up play, sealed an emphatic 6–2 win.

On Saturday, Caradon Women’s Seconds welcomed Truro, the current leaders of Trelawney Division One.

The visitors started sharply and applied early pressure, catching Caradon slightly off guard and forcing several early chances. Truro took the lead from a scrappy goal in the circle, but Caradon gradually settled and began to find rhythm with Laura Hill, Clare Poad and Lila Johns combining well in attack, albeit with no reward.

After the break, Caradon dominated, which included numerous short corners, and with time almost up, Caradon committed fully in search of an equaliser and were rewarded when player-of-the-match Natalie Ridgers forced the ball over the line in the final seconds to keep themselves firmly in the competition.

The women’s fourths opened their cup campaign against Duchy Thirds which ended in a frustrating draw.

Caradon were the better side in the first half and eventually got reward when player-of-the-match Pippa Hedley finished off a short corner routine. However, the visitors battled away and forced the ball over the line late on to secure a point.

The men’s seconds were also in cup action and travelled down to West Cornwall to tackle Duchy.

The hosts made an early breakthrough, but the Liskeard-based visitors responded with composure and structure, growing into the game and limiting further chances.

The equaliser came through Jon Pennington-Ridge, who reacted quickest in the circle following good work from Ben Pennington-Ridge, star man Jake Horton and Joe Stewart.

Caradon continued to compete well throughout the match, creating further opportunities, but Duchy edged ahead in the second half to secure the win.

The seven Saturday senior teams resume their campaigns this Saturday in the West Hockey League with both first teams looking to secure promotion.

Of the men’s teams, the firsts have a six-point advantage over second-placed Bristol and West in Division One South, the seconds are fifth in Piran Division One and the development side side lie ninth in Division Two.

On the ladies’ front, the firsts are second in Women’s Division One South as they look for an immediate return to the Premier and are three behind leaders University of Exeter Fourths with a game in-hand. Elsewhere, the seconds sit sixth in Division Two, the third fourth in Trelawney Division One and the fourths sixth in Trelawney Division Two.