KINGSBRIDGE & Salcombe Hockey Club’s mixed team Stick Happens came agonisingly close to victory this week in a lively encounter that featured plenty of drama, near-misses, and more than a few lessons learned along the way.

Among the key takeaways from the evening clash with Dart Vaders were; always look up before passing the ball and never turn your back on play — advice Maddie will certainly remember after taking a Neil-powered rocket straight to the elbow.

Despite the bumps and bruises, it was an excellent all-round team performance. The side moved the ball brilliantly throughout the match, with some superb passing triangles appearing across the pitch as Stick Happens played some of their best hockey of the season so far.

There was also an impressive goalkeeping debut from Joe, who pulled off a string of outstanding saves to keep the team firmly in contention throughout the game.

At the other end, George continued to threaten in attack, although the team may consider stationing someone on the post next week in the hope of finally deflecting one of his efforts into the net.

Frustratingly, for the second consecutive week, Stick Happens also saw a goal ruled out — leaving players and fans alike wondering when the team will finally get one to count. The final score being a 0-0 draw.

Last time out, they travelled to Plymouth and were narrowly beaten by opponents Torbay Torreadors, the final score standing at 5-4.

Thank you to EnduranceLife for providing the mixed match tops for this season.

The squad will be back in action on Wednesday (May 20), with supporters encouraged to come along and cheer them on. Stay tuned for news of how that clash went.