Petroc Division One

KS Cougars 7

Teign 0

The Cougars continued their return to league form last Saturday with an emphatic win over Teign to stay top of Petroc Division 1 coming into the closing quarter of the season.

Still undefeated in the league and Devon Trophy, KS were looking to maintain their amazing record this season and started in the best way possible as Emily Read found Helen Symons in the D with one minute gone. A lifted push from Symons beat the Teign 'keeper to give KS the lead as Hannah Durrans chased the shot down.

Keeping play inside the Teign 25, Durrans was on hand ten minutes later to angle in on a strong cross from the right and sweep home under the advancing keeper from mid D to take KS 2-0 up.

With width being maintained on both sides, there was room for the midfield and inside forwards to attack the channels as the dreamy combination of Chloe Harvey and Bex Darke teamed up to unravel the Teign defence.

Running a quick pass and overlap move, the dynamic duo blitzed through the first line of Teign markers and approached the D at pace. Darke looped into the area on the final overlap to receive the pinpoint return ball from Harvey in the danger zone, with a touch for control the right shoulder dropped and Darke fired home to score on the angle and finish off a sensational move.

Darke led the drive again five minutes later with a shot at goal the Teign 'keeper could only parry in the direction of Hannah Durrans, who tapped home from a great position at the back post to put the Cougars 4-0 in front.

KS were maintaining their shape well as Emily Read drove hard from right half to attack the 25 and Nic Bowes mirrored her moves on the left to make use of both flanks in the attack. Lou Read directed play from centre half, distributing on the angles and supporting the KS press by moving well off the ball to provide the back pass option.

Rachel Roberts scored on the half-hour mark to take KS into half-time with a 5-0 lead, finishing well from close range as Darke notched up her second assist of the game.

The Cougars were encouraged to focus on maintaining the space in their formation and to continue working the ball to create chances through the remainder of the game.

With a constant press enveloping the Teign 25, backs Gemma Harvey and Fi Wadey played higher up the pitch to keep depth and proportion in the Cougars shape, directed by 'keeper Claire Jones, who used her full view of the pitch to good advantage. 

Both defenders used the back and round' transition to create space and drive forwards with post-game rumours confirmed over another fantastic match tea in the Kings Arms that Wadey had at least one foot in the opposition D during the second half.

With twenty minutes gone in the second half, a dangerous lifted ball from the Teign right-back put an end to Durrans' storming performance as she received the hit straight on the wrist at pace, hard enough for the match ball's dimples to be visible in the blossoming bruise.

KS answered immediately with two in two minutes as Heather-Jo Webber drove the line down the right before finding Symons with a clever slip; deadly in front of goal, the Cougars captain slotted home for her second of the game.

Recovering the ball immediately from pushback, KS piled straight back into the Teign D as Symons returned the favour, beating her marker and releasing to Webber, who fired home on the run to extend the score to 7-0.

KS played out the remaining time in the Teign half as Lou Read, Nic Bowes and Chloe Harvey all had chances to extend the scoreline and drew some good saves from the Teign 'keeper.

The final whistle blew on a great performance throughout the formation as the Cougars showed pace on the ball, anticipation in front of goal, great workrate off the ball and a match-long highlight of moving with their heads up and vision on the pass.

With rolling substitutions allowing players to deliver spells of high-intensity work throughout a match, the Cougars were delighted to be presented after the game with a set of full-length subs jackets by their kind sponsors South Moor Vets and would like to thank them for their continued support of the club.

KS travel to Torbay this week to play Newton Abbot in the league.