HOCKEY

West Wilts 2, Cheltenham 6

WEST Wilts played well against the league leaders, but, with a couple of key players missing and no substitutes, they eventually crashed to a heavy defeat.

Cheltenham were taken back by the pace of the West Wilts wingers and a cross from Matt Kenyon into the D found opposite winger Jon Turner who scored with a first time shot.

Cheltenham equalised and just before the break took the lead.

West Wilts equalised from a penalty corner won by Dave Mantle. The Cheltenham keeper saved Gavin Cleverly's drag flick, but Jon Turner collected the rebound and lobbed it over the stranded keeper.

After that Cheltenham stepped up a gear and showed why they are top of the table by scoring four goals.

West Wilts 4ths 3, Team Bath Buccs 7ths 3

FOR the second Saturday running West Wilts came up against a side heading the table with a 100 per cent record, and made them work hard just to share the points.

Last week it required some desperate defence for the last ten minutes against Marlborough. This time the young University based visitors were forced to hang on at the end as West Wilts mounted a storming finish to come back from a 1-3 deficit in the last quarter. But for a few wayward finishes and some heroic goalkeeping the Bath side could easily have suffered their first league loss.

West Wilts set the early pace, but not for the first time this season they spurned the opportunity to take an early lead from the penalty spot, Alan Kilminster seeing his shot saved.

Kilminster soon made amends from a short corner and then brought the scores level by completing his hat-trick with two goals from short corners.

West Wilts Vintage XI 3, Old Kingstonians Vintage XI 2

WEST Wilts vintage hockey players eased their way into the second round of the Hockey Association Vintage Cup (for players aged 50 and over). For much of the game the visitors were in the lead, and only a late rally secured the win.

The old boys of Kingston Grammar School moved and passed the ball around well for most of the first half, and the West Wilts defence at times looked very static.

Better finishing could have seen the visitors out of sight by half time. As it was they had to be content with a single goal, touched in at the near post from a short corner strike.

West Wilts were much improved in the second period and equalised courtesy of a controlled reverse stick scoop by Keith Jeffreys.

Almost immediately Old Kingstonians restored their lead from another deflected short corner, but in a rousing last quarter Jeffreys equalised and Terry Evans scored the winner from a penalty.

Shepton Mallet 3rds 2, West Wilts 5ths 3

WEST Wilts were missing several regulars, but still claimed victory by the odd goal in five.

They started brightly and within 10 minutes Tim Nott twice put West Wilts ahead, but Shepton hit back each time to level the scores.

Wilts put the pressure on their Somerset opponents throughout the second half secured the winner from a short corner, Nott setting up Russell Harvey to score.

West Wilts Ladies 1, Mendip Ladies 7

WEST Wilts, fielding a mixture of first and second team players, were well beaten in this friendly.

Alex Black scored their consolation goal.

West Wilts Ladies 3rds 0, Fry's Ladies 3rds 1

DESPITE being awarded their first ever penalty flick, the young West Wilts side were edged aside by a fine Fry's goal after a balanced tussle between the two teams.

The Wilts defence stayed solid, with Tanya Ross and Pat Murdoch putting in their usual redoubtable performances.

In the second half Fry's took the lead with an excellent speculative through-ball being chased down and, despite sterling efforts from Lynsey Gunning in closing down the attack, an accurate cross was neatly put away by Lucy Brain.

West Wilts hit back and Alex Wood forced the keeper to dive to save, and then smother the ball and the umpires awarded a penalty flick.

Wood stepped up to the mark, but unfortunately Alex scuffed her shot and the keeper was able to save easily.