GoCrea8 Premiership
Cardiff University 4, Taunton Vale 1s 4

TAUNTON travelled to Wales for the final time this season to face a young Cardiff University team.

Again Vale had a bare 11 players due to injuries and unavailability so knew they were in for a tough game.

The first half started terribly with Cardiff scoring two goals and, at that stage, it looked like it was going to be many more.

After 20 minutes though, Taunton found their groove and began to press hard, scoring twice to make it 2-2 at half time.

Taunton continued to play some brilliant hockey in the second half, linking passes together and working well as a unit defensively.

Vale scored two more goals, one of which a contender for goal of the season as Karl Trunks threw a ginormous aerial which James Linehan brought down and placed past the keeper.

The last 10 minutes of the game were tough as Taunton’s lack of substitutes gave them tiring legs.

Cardiff got two goals near the end to make the final score four all.

It was a brilliant spectacle to watch as the game swung both ways and was probably a fair result.

Jesse Mooney received the man of the match for an outstanding performance in the middle of the pitch, while Taunton’s goal scorers were James Linehan (2), Karl Trunks and David Gibson.

***

GoCrea8 Championship
Taunton Vale A 2, Newent 2

VALE 2nds, at home, got out of the blocks quickly and put Newent under pressure.

The pressure was rewarded with successive short corners, one of which Charlie Rutherford converted with a well worked routine.

Newent came back into the game with some sustained pressure during the later periods of the first half which Taunton Vale defended well, and going into the break Taunton were 1-0 up.

Newent started the second period brightly and scored an early goal, quickly followed by a penalty flick awarded against the Taunton keeper which they managed to convert to give the away side a 2-1 advantage.

Even though Taunton went down to 10 men for periods of the second half they kept going forward and were rewarded with a penalty stroke of their own which was well saved by the Newent keeper.

Eventually, however, the pressure told and Rutherford scored a second from another well worked short corner which levelled the scores at two apiece.

Neither side could find the elusive winner and the points were shared.

***

GoCrea8 Central 1
Marlborough 6, Taunton Vale B 1

THE thirds travelled to already promoted Marlborough, who needed to win to wrap up the Central 1 title.

Vale knew they were in for tough fixture and they started badly, conceding possession and gifting Marlborough the lead.

Despite goalkeeper Dan Diggins’ heroics, Vale conceded another through a penalty corner as Marlborough threatened to run wild.

However, Vale immediately pulled a goal back through Tom Tridgell as Calvin Bull burrowed his way through Marlborough’s defence.

The hope was to be short-lived, as Marlborough scored again almost immediately, and then added two more in the second half.

Vale then had a fruitful quarter of possession without creating any clear cut chances, and they go into their last two games needing one win to ensure survival.

Men of the match: Dan Diggins, Ed Whittle.

***

GoCrea8 Southern 2
Taunton Vale C 2, Camborne SoM 0

HAVING withstood early pressure, Vale took the lead when a short corner was dispatched by Andy Rogers.

The second half proved to be even more difficult and Vale were grateful to a string of fantastic saves by man of the match Andy Criddle.

Their determination paid off, when a pass drilled hard into the D was neatly deflected into the Camborne goal by Val Semilien.

This was without a doubt Vale C’s performance of the season and one that the entire team should be proud of.

***

GoCrea8 South East 2
West Dorset A 9, Taunton Vale D 0

VALE fifths saw their recent promising run ended on a torrid afternoon as they were thumped by West Dorset A.