MATCHES between Wotton and Cirencester are always anticipated to be fast and challenging and this one did not disappoint.

Wotton had a great start, camping in the Cirencester half due to some skilful work.

Lianne Hoyle’s superb positioning in a penalty corner gave Wotton a 1-0 lead early in the game.

Ellis, Bates and McCullough took control of the midfield with some intelligent play but in the second half Cirencester came back determined and scored two quick goals.

Player of the match, Lucy Waite solidly defended the Wotton D and her unyielding effort ensured Wotton had a chance to pull back near the end of the second half but some forceful defending from Cirencester stopped the home side from equalising.

Overall it was a well fought game but Cirencester came out on top with a strong second half.

N4 Hockey League Herefordshire and Gloucestershire Division Two Cirencester C 1 Wotton-under-Edge A 1

Wotton regained their good habits in a rearranged titanic struggle with promotion rivals Cirencester on Sunday.

The result was all the more creditable after Cirencester converted early pressure into a goal when a retaken free hit found an unmarked forward on the penalty spot and skipper Alan Hooper could only parry the chest-high shot into the net.

The Blues then won a string of penalty corners and a Steve Dexter shot looked to have crossed the line but no goal was given.

A thrilling second half saw Wotton battering the Ciren defence but the home team were always dangerous on the break.

Tim Journeaux was proving a real handful and won several more penalty corners, so it was only fitting that he fired home after a slick switch from Dexter.

The Blues should have gone onto win, missing two gilt-edged opportunities from close range.

At the other end keeper Jeremy Hull did really well, first to force Ciren’s centre forward to shoot early and wide after being put through on goal, and then to make a sharp save at the near post to a wickedly deflected shot.

Cleevillians A 2 Wotton-under-Edge A 1

A below-par performance, particularly in front of goal, saw Wotton concede only their third defeat of the season.

A bright opening ten minutes saw the Blues ahead when a crisp passing move put Greg Willcox through and he finished neatly to beat the advancing keeper.

For much of the remainder of the half Wotton gave away possession far too easily with players not releasing early passes but it still took lacklustre defending to allow Cleevillians to bundle in a ball that should have been cleared over the line to equalise.

Wotton improved in the second half but were undone by a highly contentious score when the ball looped off an attacker’s foot and was smashed into the goal by his strike partner.

Cleevillians then defended in numbers and the Blues’ forwards could find no way through despite being awarded numerous penalty corners for fouls in the D.