CARADON’S women’s teams restarted their respective seasons in the West Hockey League on Saturday with mixed results.

The first team faced a young and energetic University of Exeter Fourths side in Division One South, with the home team and applying early pressure.

A short corner inside the opening ten minutes tested the defence, but resolute work at the back allowed Caradon to break quickly. The ball was fired long to Bizzie Jeffery, who calmly slipped a delicate pass beyond the last defender for Jules Butterworth to slot home the opener.

The goal opened the game up, with both sides moving the ball well through midfield and wide areas.

Exeter responded before the break, with a reverse strike hitting the backboard to level the score.

The second half saw Caradon settle into a more structured press, improving their marking and successfully limiting Exeter’s preferred long, cross-field play.

Despite this, two short corners proved decisive, leaving Caradon chasing a two-goal deficit in the final ten minutes.

The closing stages were played with real intensity as the Liskeard-based side battled hard to close the gap, showing immense discipline to finish the game without any cards despite some controversial officiating, including two disallowed goals.

The seconds secured an important three points at Lux Park in Division Two South against their Falmouth counterparts.

Under the encouragement of captain Julia Eldridge, the team committed to playing their own game from the outset. Early chances fell both ways, but it was Kerenza Bunt who opened the scoring after ten minutes, reacting quickest in a goalmouth scramble.

Falmouth responded with quick ball movement and individual skill, testing Caradon’s defence, but Jen Ross-Thomas was outstanding in goal. A crucial clearance off the line from Carina Hodge preserved the lead at half-time.

The second stanza saw Caradon find real rhythm, producing some of their best team hockey of the season.

Bunt added her second, while strong performances from Lauren Gouge and Abbie Fulford on the left flank supported both defence and attack. A late short corner strike from Laura Hill sealed a deserved 3–0 win. Jess Eldridge was named player-of-the-match for her strength and determination at the back.

The Thirds travelled to Penzance for a challenging fixture in Trelawney Division One.

Caradon scored first against the run of play, with a quick restart from Claire Brown finding Rachel Luiten, who released Izzy Hedley down the line. Her cross was finished calmly by Phoebe Wilson.

Penzance responded with three goals, including two from short corners.

Caradon continued to work hard, and a cross from Jess Ross-Thomas was met by player-of-the-match Hedley to reduce the deficit, which was how it stayed. Hedley was named Player of the Match for her pace and attacking threat.

The fourths were given an early wake-up call by Falmouth Thirds, conceding within two minutes. The response was immediate, with midfield strength and excellent distribution from Elsa Frangleton feeding the wide players Liv Sanders and Anneliese Shannon, who applied constant pressure. Linking play from Lucy Johnson and Pippa Hedley helped maintain momentum, and a superb ball from Jayne Longrigg allowed Neave Bunt to score, before she went on to complete an impressive hat-trick.

Defensively, Beth Harris and Hazel Ashman supported Sharon Jeffery and Caroline Hambly, with Charlotte Murray excelling as sweeper. Cally Bowers made several key saves in goal.

Despite the strong performance, Caradon narrowly lost 4-3.