Bude Hockey Club men’s round-up – Saturday, October 17

THE Seasiders’ first team produced an epic second half comeback to share the spoils from an eight-goal thriller at Camborne School of Mines on Saturday in Piran Division One of the West Hockey League.

Bude made the long trip to Penryn College in fine form but were second best as they went into the break 3-0 down.

Following a much-needed team talk which also saw them shuffle things around, they started to create some chances and build pressure.

This was rewarded when Cambourne blocked a certain goal-bound shot with a player’s body, resulting in a penalty flick which Robbie Scragg converted.

Bude piled the pressure on, and with more attacks came more chances, one of which saw Matthew Horton’s simple penalty corner strike find the bottom corner.

This set up a tense final quarter of the game as both teams went for the win.

The hosts soon restored their two-goal advantage with another field goal, but Bude were not beaten and responded in style.

With just 10 minutes remaining, a hard and fast cross was fired into the D by Kristof Saunders where Thomas Hall got a deft touch on the ball which was all it needed as it continued to sail past everyone and into the net.

With tensions heightened and everything to play for, the game reached its crescendo as Bude drew level late on with another unstoppable Horton penalty corner strike.

Instead of giving up when things were not going their way, Bude battled hard all day and this was epitomised by goalkeeper Oscar Kirby who made numerous saves to keep his team in it as they remained top of the table.

Bude Seconds faced visiting Bodmin Thirds at the Budehaven Sports Centre, but with the visitors being a development side, the points wouldn’t matter come the season’s end anyway.

Bodmin had just seven players, but with both teams keen to get some action in, played an 11-a-side fixture with the Seasiders loaning some players for the day.

A open first quarter gave both sides plenty of the ball with Bude having the better chances, but it was their fellow Cornishmen who scored first with another hopeful long ball up the middle finding their high striker who controlled under pressure before firing a low, hard shot into the far corner.

Bude responded well and kept creating chances, one of which was bundled into the goal. But the whistle had already been blown for an illegal save on the line. This was meant they were given a penalty flick which was really well taken, but the keeper produced a fine glove save high up to deny the leveller.

A half-time break saw a reshuffle of both teams to allow the Bude players to mix between both sides, and the game restarted with the home side’s best passage of play as lovely link up play through the middle gave them front foot ball.

However, they soon conceded a second on the counter-attack and never really recovered, although man-of-the-match Riley Vasello produced a dominant display down the right-wing which caused the visitors problems all day.

Both teams take a week off from league action this Saturday. The firsts resume against second-placed Duchy at Budehaven on October 31 (1.30pm), while the seconds will visit Falmouth Seconds (3.30pm).