Newton Abbot ladies 2

Okehampton ladies 7

IN their first league game of the season Both teams started a little tentatively with Okehampton having the majority of the play.  Some nifty passing amongst Jane Jones, Louise Weller, Jo Moppett and Lesley Bingham proved dangerous to Newton Abbot but no goal was forthcoming.

A swift strike down the mid field by Newton Abbot put Okehampton on the defensive and the home side won a short corner.  The strike raised the ball to the top right hand corner of the net but it was agreed that no goal had been scored as the backboard has to be hit from a strike off a short corner.

Within minutes Newton Abbot pushed the ball into the circle where it brushed a defender's foot and went into goal to put Newton Abbot in the lead. Oke were swiftly onto the attack and Jo Moppet pushed the ball to Lesley Bingham who scored.  Newton Abbot came back and scored with a good pass to their left wing who gave goalie Viv Weatherington no chance. 

Okehampton worked hard with intelligent passes and they were rewarded with an equaliser from Winnie Rademaker. This was soon followed up by a cracking pass from Louise Weller to Kim Davey who smacked the ball into the goal putting Okehampton 3-2 up at half time.

The visitors continued to dominate the play in the second half but could not quite score despite several solo runs by Jo Moppet and some near misses.  Brieze Read, Oke's player of the match, masterminded the defence and there were particularly timely passes by Brieze and Sandy Douglas which shot up the left wing to be seized upon for attack.

Finally a superb shot from Jo Moppet increased the lead.  Now on a roll and ably assisted by Kim Davey, Louise Weller, Jane Jones and Winnie Rademaker, Jo Moppet scored twice more.   

By now both teams were visibly wilting in the intense heat.  This did not stop Kim Davey taking a pass off Jo Moppet from a short corner and convert it into the seventh and last goal for Okehampton.