Rushmere hits brace as Buccs better Isca
Team Bath Buccaneers’ men picked up a valuable win against Isca. Both teams started strong knowing there were three valuable points up for grabs going into the Christmas break. Bath maintained possession for the first five minutes and began creating chances with balls crashed into the D, but a tough Isca defence kept them at bay. Opportunities kept coming and it was Isca that had the first real shot at goal with a strike from the top of the D just over the crossbar of Stephen West’s goal. The battle continued with more chances from either side, however the scoreline remained 0-0 going into the second half. Once again the two teams came out of the break fighting with strong challenges and opportunities at goal. The first short corner of the game fell to the Buccaneers, with Ben Stone’s drag flick run down by a determined Isca defender. It was towards the end of the game when the openings for each team increased. Stu Rushmere, with a quickly taken long corner, drove into the D and fired it into the bottom corner to put Bath one step ahead. Buccs began to ramp up the pressure. With a clever short-corner routine and quick reactions on the rebound, Rushmere doubled the lead for the away side. Isca began to fight back, winning a short corner in the last five minutes but it was broken down by a sturdy Bath defence. The last few minutes saw the Buccaneers create more opportunities that were smartly saved by the Isca goalkeeper, but it was too late for them and the game ended 2-0 to Bath. Elsewhere, the A team were beaten 3-0 by Ashmoor, while the Bs drew 1-1 at Leominster. There was a derby win for the C side, however, with Adam Sandey, Alexander menezes and Jack Bunn hitting the backboard against City of Bath A. Oliver Neal and Matthew Bennison’s goals could not keep the D team from a 4-2 defeat away to Minehead, with Richard Warwick bagging the Es’ consolation in a 4-1 loss to Chard. The Fs had a goalless draw with Marlborough B, with the Gs running out 4-1 victors against Shepton Mallet B, their tally made up by Adam Whiteley, Oliver Chadwick, Hugo Pike and an own goal. Three of the ladies teams bagged seven-goal tallies. The 1st XI hammered Taunton Vale in a 7-0 home win, but the 2nds lost 4-0 to Bristol University. Both Imogen Hurst and Millie Lang hit braces as the 3rds defeat Weston-super-mare 6-2, Melissa Lewis Forster and Sarah Wiseman also on target. There was also a 7-0 win for the 4ths against Chippenham 3rds. Georgie Bale (2), Judith Orr (2), Steph Routledge, Sophie Mumford, Lara Botting made up that number. And the 5ths would also hit seven, four of them through Claire Connell, in a 7-1 victory over Corsham 3rds. Anna Amith, Joanna Donkin and Fiona Askew also scored.
■ CITY Of BATH For the ladies, the 1sts won by the odd goal in seven, defeating Royal Wootton Bassett 2nds 4-3 at Kingswood School. And City’s second string were also winners over Bassett 3rds, triumphing 4-2, again on home soil. The men’s 1st XI extended their winless run to three games, but picked up a point from a 2-2 draw with Plymouth Marjon A. The 2nds lost 3-0 to cross-town rivals Team Bath Buccaneers C, with the 3rds defeated 5-2 by Marlborough A. The 4th XI drew 1-1 at home to Wootton Bassett’s A team.