Buccs draw specialists
Team Bath Buccs drew for the third time in as many Men’s Hockey League Conference West outings this season as Sunday’s clash at Fareham ended 3-3.
The visitors made a fast start against their also winless hosts and took an early two-goal lead thanks to a pair of short-corner routines, with Scott Rawlingson netting on his return to Fareham.
Skinner and Jackson then combined to make it 3-0, but Fareham pulled one back before the break.
Despite some great saves from Buccs keeper West, Fareham reduced the arrears with 15 minutes to go and Team Bath were made to pay for a number of missed chances when the home side grabbed a late equaliser to register their first point of the campaign.
This weekend Team Bath BUCCS Ladies firsts faced a strong Bristol University side.
The uni team started the game well and after a few good passages of play from both sides, the Bristolians opened the scoring with five minutes on the clock.
However, BUCCS responded immediately by linking their defence to their attack seamlessly. With the continued pressure on the Bristol defence, Tess Hannah capitalised going into half time, levelling the scores.
Although the Bath ladies began the second half positively, it was the travelling team who came out 2-1 winners.
It is still early days for the BUCCS ladies, who will go into next week’s game against Bournemouth having learnt lessons from this defeat.
The 2nd XI fared better winning 2-1 in Exeter.
The game got off to a strong start with TBB having the majority of possession, and with every ISCA breakthrough being managed by the likes of Hatty, Vicky and Jem all that was needed was an outcome in the D.
After many attacking phases, the first goal was scored with a lovely ball through from Di on a free hit that was deflected by Non.
After a green card for one of their players due to barging TBB had many good phases of play and were awarded with some penalty corners but they failed to convert.
After half time ISCA came back strong, with a green card for Charlie the TBB played defensively and managed to defend ISCA’S overload.
With 11 players back on, ISCA got a green and a yellow card, TBB were up two players.
Making the most of the overload and space, they were awarded with a penalty corner which resulted in a lovely upright volley from Eva bringing the score to 2-0.
However ISCA came back hard in the last seven minutes and with Eva carded TBB were overloaded.
After many attempts and cracking saves from Megan, ISCA scored by a penalty flick, the score now 2-1. TBB managed to defend off many short corners in the closing minutes, and with some great defending from the whole team and saves the final whistle blew and TBB2 got the win.
The Third XI won 4-2 at home to Firebrands thirds, Rosie Taylor Jones with a hat-trick and Adele Pryer the scorers.
Team Bath Buccaneers hockey players Tim Nurse and Stuart Rushmere helped Great Britain men’s under-21 squad secure their second Sultan of Johor Cup title following a series of superb performances in Malaysia.
Millfield School sixth-former Rushmere came off the bench and scored a crucial equaliser from a penalty corner – his second goal of the tournament – as GB came from behind to beat India 3-2 in Friday’s final group match.
That meant the two nations would meet again in the final on Saturday and the outcome was the same, with University of Bath sports performance student Nurse – supported by a King Scholarship – again impressing in defence as GB went one better than last year.
Both Nurse and Rushmere have been named in the GB Elite Development Programme (EDP) for the 2018-19 season.
■ CITY OF BATH Men’s team are still pointless in The Championship after losing 2-1 at home to Swindon.
The A team are bottom of the league after being thumped 11-1 by Mid Somerset.
Things are looking better for the B team, who are second in East Central 1 after a 6-4 win over Royal Woottoon Bassett A. The C team prop up the same division, losing 8-1 to West Wilts A. City of Bath Ladies are sixth in Wessex Division 1 after their 7-1 defeat to Salisbury seconds.
The Second XI lead the way in Wessex Division 2 after a 9-1 win against West Wilts 3.