WITH Caradon Thirds having to concede their home game against Plymouth Lions Fourths, it meant the first team had ample time for a thorough warm-up and team talk before their home clash with Exeter in Division One South of the West Hockey League on Saturday.

Despite the eagerness and preparation, the Cornishmen struggled to find their flow early on and conceded several chances before they deservedly fell behind on 20 minutes.

However, like all good sides, Caradon responded well and Ben Reynolds plucked a Ben Reynolds aerial out of the sky before slipping in Tyler Walsh behind the defensive line and he swept the ball over the keeper for 1-1.

A stern team talk from Caradon’s skipper and man-of-the-match Nathan Jeffery seemed to galvanise the Yellows as the second half was a totally different story.

Relentless pressure on the Exeter defensive line caused a miss trap in front of their own goal and Will Turpin was on hand to put into the net from six yards.

Connecting and feeling strong, the leaders dominated territory and soon added to the scoreboard from two penalty corners converted by Tyler Walsh to complete the hat-trick.

Exeter ended the game with a deflection for their second goal as the final whistle was blown. A tough opponent was kept quiet due to great work-ethic and perseverance.

Caradon’s Seconds visited Plymouth Lions Thirds in Piran Division One and ran out 3-2 winners.

The Cornishmen started brightly and quickly put themselves on the front foot, creating plenty of early chances and applying constant pressure on the Lions defence.

The breakthrough came courtesy of Jake Horton, who produced a brilliant solo run down the line before cutting across the top of the D and firing a controlled strike that rattled the backboard to give Caradon a deserved lead.

Caradon continued to threaten, and it didn’t take long for their second goal to arrive. Jack Rowe, on the pitch for less than 30 seconds, found himself perfectly placed at the back post and showed great composure to finish with his very first touch of the game.

Going into the break 2-0 up, Caradon were pleased with their start but knew there were still small details to tidy up in the hope of an even stronger second half performance.

The second stanza began positively as from a well-worked short corner, Liam Champion slipped the ball to Luke Jeffrey, whose shot was saved, but Fenton Robins reacted quickest to slot home the rebound for the third.

A difficult five-minute spell followed as the Lions fought their way back into the contest, scoring a well-worked team goal before then adding a scrappy second to set up a tense finish.

From then on, the game became an end-to-end battle. Constant movement from Mike Parkinson and Robins up top helped Caradon create several more chances, and could easily have added to the scoreline, only to be denied by a series of excellent saves from the Lions goalkeeper.

The player-of-the-match award was shared between Jack Rowe, who caused problems all over the pitch and his impact on the scoreline, and Ted Dyer, whose interceptions and defensive awareness repeatedly sparked counter attacks for Caradon.

Overall, it was a strong team performance from the visitors, earning a well-deserved result and an important three points as they look to keep climbing the table over the coming weeks.