Buccs stretch their unbeaten run to six
team bath buccaneers continued their six match unbeaten run with a great win over Midlands rival olton & west warwickshire, pushing bath within striking distance of a top three finish. Buccs started impressively and, despite their opponents’ experience, managed to pass the ball with confidence and created a number of opportunities. John Jackson and Tim Nurse controlled the defence with Lewis Jowett and Stu Rushmere a force in midfield. The introduction of debutant Fraser Smellie in attack opened the defence up with a subtle piece of skill to put Scott Rawlings clear to slot home from an acute angle. Buccs continued to press and this dominance saw Rushmere convert a penalty flick after a deliberate foul on Ben Stone. Minutes before halftime, Alex Renwick added another with an exquisite reverse stick strike to the corner. Despite the lead, Buccs began the second half looking for more goals with a short corner strike being saved, before another fine move from defence saw a Rawlings deft pass open the defence, but Renwick’s shot was saved. With minutes to go, Olton launched a rare attack and an unlucky deflection saw Edwin Waters grab an open play goal. With two left to play, Steve Batten converted a short corner, but Buccs held on for their 13th point from 15. Next up for Buccs is Cardiff Met with the winners taking a big step to a top three position. ■ buccs ladies faced Yate in a bid to stay top of the table. The match was dominated by Buccs as they managed to maintain composure and demonstrate great link-ups in the middle of the pitch, which led to Megan Jones securing the first goal. This was quickly followed by a top right deflection from Di Bevan to put Buccs two ahead. The quality of passing and interplay throughout the second half was much the same, with Tess Hannah making it 3-0.