BUDE put in a remarkable second-half performance as Cayden Gill’s late equaliser helped them come from 3-0 down to draw 4-4 with Plymouth Marjon C at Budehaven School.

The home side got off to the worst possible start as Marjon launched a long aerial ball straight from the push back to the edge of the D. After a messy interlude they managed to find a Bude defender’s foot inside the D and a short corner was awarded.

From the resulting short corner, a lifted shot was stopped illegally on the line by the defender on the post and a penalty flick was awarded, which was dispatched past keeper Andy Davis’s right-hand side.

Bude struggled to regroup after this setback and were losing possession too easily and too often so it was no surprise when Marjon went 2-0 up through a deflected short corner routine.

The visitors piled the pressure on further with the continued onslaught of the long aerial balls, which happened all game to keep pushing Bude back.

The pressure told as, after a goalmouth scramble, the ball was forced home at the back post to give them a comfortable 3-0 lead at the break.

Bude used the half-time break to reflect and concentrated on improving there own performance to restore some pride.

Those tactics paid early dividends as they pulled a goal back through their inspirational captain David Woodward who came sliding in from nowhere to tap home a ferocious cross from Tom Hall.

Bude were soon deflated as another long ball dropped to the Marjon striker who slipped it past the advancing Davis to restore their three-goal lead.

Bude never gave up and a glimmer of hope came as Kristoff Saunders rounded off his cameo appearance with a well timed goal; the glimmer got even brighter as Woodward scored a contender for Bude’s goal of the season award.

Picking the ball up in his own half, Woodward went on a mazy run past at least four or five defenders and did not stop running until he reached the D where he slammed home his shot to give Bude a real chance of earning an unlikely point.

With less than two minutes to go, many may have thought the comeback was not possible, especially when a late chance was spectacularly cleared off the line as it was going into the top corner.

However they continued to knock on the door and and were duly rewarded as Cayden Gill rounded off a great passing move by drag flicking the ball past the keeper from the left hand side of the D to complete a very late smash and grab and deny the shellshocked visitors all three points.

The result leaves Bude in fifth, seven points off second-placed Plympton Grammar School Old Boys A (PGSOB) and seven points off the relegation zone, with 20 points from their 14 matches.

They’re in action this weekend when they travel to the Sir John Colfox School in Bridport to take on West Dorset, who the Cornishmen beat 6-0 back in October.

Bude ladies welcomed some of the younger players onto the team for the first time but it wasn’t enough as they fell to a 4-0 defeat at Tavistock.

The visitors not only had to try and gel as a unit but also faced an in-form home side who strolled into a 3-0 lead at the break.

Despite trailing, Bude put in a much more determined and focused display in the second-half with the first 30 minutes seeing them produce some of their best hockey in a while.

The passing was accurate with fast balls moving throughout the full width of the pitch keeping Tavistock on their toes.

In the end the home side did a fourth but Bude had at least put up a much sterner challenge after the break.

Eloise Maniglia took a step up into the seniors and put in a fantastic performance in saving some very tricky shots at goal while Emily Shears also played well up front and on the left wing.

On Saturday, Bude travel to high-flying Exeter University as they look to increase their four-point lead over second-bottom Okehampton in the battle to avoid the drop.