HOCKEY

West Glos A 0, West Wilts 4 WEST Wilts bounced back from last week's 2-0 defeat by Team Buccs to take all three points.

The first 10 minutes of the first half was level pegging before Dave Mantle broke the 0-0 deadlock when Dave Jeffreys deflected a cross from Stuart Brailey into the path of Mantle who neatly flicked it into the net of the goal.

Not long after a tackle by West Glos left Mantle a little hot headed and he received a yellow card, leaving West Wilts with 10 men.

But even with their one man advantage West Glos could not break through and were left a goal behind at half-time.

West Wilts started the second half even stronger then they had finished the first. Dan Sheppard ripped apart the West Glos defence when he drove into the D and unselfishly squared the ball to Mantle to score his second goal of the game.

West Glos had lost all composure and did not look threatening in the second half leaving West Wilts to add to their goal tally.

Mantle completed his hat-trick and had an assist in Jon Turner's goal.

Man-of-the-match went to Stuart Brailey. With an overall great team performance, clean sheet and healthy score line West Wilts can look confidently to tomorrow's game against leaders Cheltenham.

Marlborough 3rds 3, West Wilts 4ths 3

THREE times West Wilts took the lead in this match, but three times Marlborough came back to equalise and preserve their unbeaten record.

And at the end it was West Wilts who were forced to hang on for a hard fought draw which saw the home team drop their first points of the season.

With both sides eager to attack and playing fast, open hockey it was always likely to be a test for the defences, and so it proved.

West Wilts opened the scoring from their first short corner, Alan Kilminster's strike alertly deflected in by Terry Evans. Marlborough came back and forced a few short corners of their own, but did not initially seem to pose much threat from their set pieces.

One did click, however, and led to a penalty stroke from which Marlborough equalised for the first time.

Within minutes they were behind again, undone by a flowing West Wilts attack with Kevin Murphy and Jonathan Cockroft exchanging a couple of passes before the latter hit a cross shot which was deflected in by a defender.

The end to end exchanges continued, both sides looking dangerous going forward, but it was Marlborough who scored next, finding some space in the circle and wrongfooting the West Wilts defence to slot the ball into the far corner and balance the scores again.

West Wilts in turn restored their lead shortly before the interval, again from a short corner. Alan Kilminster was forced wide, but lobbed the goalkeeper as he came out, and Terry Evans applied the finishing touch to ensure the ball crossed the line.

If it was the forwards who dominated the first half, both defences turned in more solid performances in the second period of play, and the game became something of a dour midfield struggle.

Chances still came at both ends, but West Wilts could not quite convert a couple of good opportunities and instead it was Marlborough who levelled the scores again midway through the half.

Thereafter play became a bit more frantic and less controlled as Marlborough desperately sought the winner and West Wilts defended equally desperately to deny them.

Both sides had a player yellow carded in the latter stages, but West Wilts held out to secure a valuable away point against one of the promotion favourites.