Petroc 2 League

Honiton Hornets 2, Dartmouth 4

DARTMOUTH will have to 'up their game and strengthen their squad for next season', according to one of their coaches following their promotion to Petroc 1.

The girls secured second place in the league with a hard-fought victory on a hot spring day last Saturday. Coaches Kevin Edwards and Chris Chater admitted that nerves played a big part in this game, which should have been much easier.

Chater said the club were already looking ahead to next season, adding: 'We will have to up our game and strengthen our squad for next season. The recent player losses, unavailability and injuries have made this run-in very difficult for us.'

Following a delayed start, Dartmouth looked very nervous, and the knowledge that they had to win weighed heavily on them all match. Indeed, it was Honiton who settled well and put Dartmouth under consistent pressure and they were rewarded with a goal following a break.

This spurred Dartmouth into action and attack and brought an immediate response from a short corner, where Sarah Barrett finished off a Lucy Pillar strike.

One minute later it was the Pillar-Barrett combination again as Dartmouth took the lead, leaving the Hornets' goalie injured and having to leave the field as she tried to save the goal. Hornets elected to play out the half with an extra running back and not a goalie, which did not bode well for them as player-of-the-match Chloe Edwards smashed home following another short corner.

Honiton came out the stronger in the second half, during which numerous attacks were repelled and short corners cleared, but finally one got through, making the game very tense.

Dartmouth's worries were finally eased three minutes before time as Lucy Pillar struck home from another short corner to claim the points. Sarah Barrett was then cruelly denied her hat-trick as the whistle was blown for full-time just as she rounded the 'keeper and scored.

The team now take a well-earned break before pre-season training commences in earnest a few months from now.

You can see most of the team in Sainsbury's on Saturday morning, when they are bag-packing to raise funds for new kit and equipment.