The ladies had a weekend off hockey but it was a busy weekend for the men with two re-arranged games on Sunday.
It was a tough weekend for the Mens 2nds, playing two teams near the top of the table, and they lost both. 2-4 away to Bridgwater and 6-0 to Bristol Uni.
However, their run in to the end of the season is now mainly against teams just above or below them in the league, so a couple of wins should see them pull clear of the relegation battle.
The Mens 3rds also found themselves up against league leaders, and South Glos A won 5-1. Match report is at the bottom of this article.
Saving the best to last, the Mens 1sts started the weekend outside the top three places which will guarantee promotion and playing Exeter University C who started above them in 3rd place, and then Teign who were just behind them. So, over to our very own Sports reporter of the year Steve Proctor for the two match reports (Health warning, grab a coffee, they take a while to read!)

In the first game of a double header weekend, North hosted Exeter University C’s at Gordano school.
Rich Pugsley and Jon Venn dropped out of the squad, Charlie Dangerfield & Brad Krone returned, Mike Hooper also drafted in to add some steel to the front line.
From the off, Exeter Uni immediately began to dominate possession, zipping the ball around the pitch with ease, North reduced to chasing shadows in the opening exchanges.
North looked nervous and when they did get the ball, passes were going astray and their control was letting them down.
Despite this shaky start North did manage to craft the first opportunity of the game when the predatory Matt Mills broke at pace into the D firing a reverse stick shot high at the goal forcing a save from the Exeter keeper.
Exeter came back hard and a scramble in the North area was only semi cleared, the resulting short corner was defended well by North.
The pressure was being ramped up on the home defence but they were holding firm, despite Exeters quick forward 3, North were being well marshalled by Lee Chambers.
Exeter made another break into the North D but the centre forward was thwarted by Keeper Proctor who came off his line to intercept and make a save.
North were making hard work of this game and the inevitable happened under constant pressure when Exeter grabbed the opening goal of the game, a save from Proctor, the resultant rebound was fired back and initially was heading wide but an Exeter player ghosted in at the far post despite the valiant and brave effort of Patt Tanner to poke home.
This was the wake up call North needed and from the restart they tried to impose themselves onto this game, a crash ball from tanner found Matt Mills who again weaved his way goal ward, another shot and save from the visiting keeper, next to try his luck was captain Francuz but to no avail.
Although North were beginning to create some chances Exeter were not going to sit back and take this, and pushed back pinning North deep in their own territory, from a free hit Darshane Theara was adjudged to have been deliberately breaking down play, a yellow card a trip to the bin for his troubles. With North down to 10 a reshuffle was needed, with Daniel Ball bravely struggling with a long term hand injury, George Priestner slotted into the centre back position and Ball went to the bench.
North defended bravely while down to 10, and kept the Exeter tide at bay until they had their full compliment back on the pitch. Mosley and Tanner were beginning to see plenty of the ball on the right side of the pitch linking up well, and it was this combo causing Exeter issues that brought them their first card of the game, a yellow following the second crude challenge on Tanner.
As the half wore on the game became more of an even contest, both sides were conceeding fouls and this stop start play suited North more at this stage.
Proctor was called into action again to come from his line and intercept another Exeter forward and clear the ball.
In the final minute North piled forward looking for an equaliser, beating the keeper a shot was goal bound and looked like it was saved by a defenders foot on the line, this dropped to Mike Hooper who fired home with interest but the umpire had whistled and so the half was seen out with a short corner, despite their best efforts it was defended well and the half ended 1-0 to Exeter.
Given the first 35 minutes dominance by Exeter, North were somehow still in this game and the half time talk from coach Macblain reflected this.
North got the second half underway and set to work trying to create some combinations and string sequences of passes together, the tireless running of the front line and midfield was starting to tell, Exeter making mistakes not shown in the first half.
North were back on level terms shortly after, captain Francuz bagging himself a goal to make it 1-1.
Exeter restarted and clearly the goal hadn’t rattled them as they once again turned up the heat on the home side, moving the ball around and pinning North back, despite their best efforts the pressure soon told as visitors scored 2 goals in quick succession to seemingly put the game out of reach at 3-1.
North knew that defeat today effectively ended any chance of promotion this season so the pressure was now on to try and salvage the game. The home side had no option but to throw caution to the wind and go for the game.
With Brad Krone anchoring the midfield, Priestner and Chambers finding their range with passes, this gave more attacking license to Dangerfield and Tanner to get down the flanks and this gave North a different dynamic, pushing hard forward North found the net again, Scott Voisey ending his mini goal drought with a deflected finish to bring the score to 3-2.
The home side now had their tails up and with a new found confidence were surging forward, Matt Mills picked up the ball before powering into the Exeter D, a deliberate foul instantly bringing a Penalty stroke decision from the umpire.
Up stepped the man for a pressure situation Lee Chambers, unflappable as always he held his nerve to fire home high into the roof of the net to grab the equaliser........video evidence can be seen on social media.
Exeter were looking shell shocked now, throwing away a lead and allowing North to get back into the game with 10 mins still to play.
With the opposition still reeling North could see all 3 points were up for grabs and went back to work right from the off, despite some weary legs they kept their high intensity play, more combinations were beginning to come off and North were having more possession than they’d enjoyed in the game, Exeter were now finding themselves pinned back in their half.
North pushed up through the gears and Lewis Francuz picked up the ball and ran across to the top of the D, a game reverse effort was possibly heading goalbound but Charlie Mott appeared to tap the ball home, 4-3 to North and the recovery was looking like job done.
Exeter now looked like a defeated side, they’d given their all but this final 10 mins had belonged to North and they weren’t quite done yet, a long rifled cross field ball found Mott prowling alone in the Exeter D and he kept his composure to slap home a first time finish in at the near post, 5-3 to North and game over.

Hughes Carpentry Man of the Match Steve Proctor

A great test of character, and what a comeback from North, 3 vital points gained on the promotion trail and job 50% done for the weekend.

Thanks for all the support and onward to Sunday’s home game against fellow promotion rivals Teign.

Game 2 of the weekend saw North host Teign HC at Gordano school in another pivotal clash in the race for the promotion places in Conference South.
The only changes from Saturday saw James Mosley drop out of the match day squad, Sam Aldridge drafted in as cover at short notice.
A buoyant dressing room pre match still riding high on Saturdays resilient display were reminded of the importance of the days task, North had thrrown away a 2-1 lead to lose 3-2 and received a red card in the previous meeting with Teign.
North got the game under way and looked to dominate the opening exchanges, the revised back line of Tanner, Priestner, Chambers and Ball finding ample time to swing passes around the pitch and find their range with relative ease.
Leading the front line, Matt Mills was finding himself plenty of time and space, some neat interplay with the maverick Tanner saw several bursts into the Teign D but he was halted by some stout and brave defending.
North were now on top and attacking at will down either flank and under this pressure Teign were beginning to struggle. A yellow card for a crude challenge on left back Ball saw them reduced to 10 men.
Despite the numerical deficit, Teign were still creating some problems for North, their effective use of aerial passes into the channels was releasing their forward line to run at the North defence. Winning several short corners, the brave running of Priestner and Tanner prevented any effective efforts on goal.
North got the opening goal midway through the half from a fine set play move, a short corner was excellently slotted home hard and low by Darshane Theara from the top of the D.
Teign got the match back under way and found North pushing them back once more and several more short corners were conceded by the visitors but North could not find the elusive second goal. Several half chances fell to Mott, Francuz and Hooper but the Teign keeper held firm to keep the score at 1-0.
Birthday boy Charlie Dangerfield made a brief appearance onto the field but a niggling groin injury soon had him retreating to the dugout to spectate for the rest of the match.
Still Teign continued their aerial bombardment of the North backline, but Priestner and Chambers looked assured under the high ball, the only time it evaded them, keeper Proctor was on hand to play out from the back to Chambers.
Despite all of their attacking intent North were unable to find the second goal they needed to take the fight out of the visitors and with less than 5 minutes to go in the half this came back to haunt them, a ball fired into the North D was collected and instantaly the teign forward found half a yard to turn and fire home through the crowd into the bottom corner.
Half time and coach Macblain outlined the plan once more and the importance of the game, North needed to show character in this second half.
From the off, the half time talk appeared to have the desired response, despite this being their second game in 24 hours North came at Teign with vigour pushing them back and pinning them in, the home defence adopting a high line and transferring the ball across the pitch to wear the opposition down.
Captain Francuz drove at the heart of the teign defence and after jabbing a ball into the keeper, Mike Hooper was on hand to mop up and put the ball home to make it 2-1.
North now had the momentum and began to pile forward, Matt Mills introduced back into the action was again a constant threat to the visiting defence.
Teign still had some fight left in them and launched a couple of counter attacks which saw the North defence produce some lung bursting sprints back to prevent any danger on their goal.
Brad Krone was the next to succumb to injury, starting the game with a slight muscle pull, it gave up on him in the second half and he had to be replaced taking no further part in proceedings.
North opened up a 2 goal lead shortly after with another slick short corner routine, a ball out to Theara was slipped to Matt Mills who rifled home a drag flick off the underside of the crossbar.
Both sides were then reduced to 10 men, another heavy challenge through the back of Daniel Ball saw the Teign player receive a yellow card, Ball subsequently shown a yellow for his outburst towards the Teign player.
North continued to move the ball around the pitch and quickly won another short corner, the Teign defence mindful of the last effort from Mills misread the North routine, a short pass to Francuz who sent an inviting ball across goal for Scott Voisey to put home, 4-1 to North.
The 5th goal came courtesy of another short corner, this move saw Mills replace Theara at the top of the D, receiving the ball he flicked high into the net to grab his second of the game and give North a 5-1 win.
Teign were again reduced to 10 men for the final exchanges of the game, a coming together between Tanner and Teign player, more verbal barbs and a yellow card shown.
Tanner was then on hand to make a smart goal line save from a short corner. A crashed ball into the North D saw Proctor make a reaction save at his near post and the final act of the game was a Teign short corner but with the game lost this came to nothing.

Hughes Carpentry Man of the Match George Priestner.

An excellent haul of maximum points from the 2 games over the weekend for North who now climb to 3rd in the table leapfrogging Saturdays and Sunday’s opponents, some tired weary legs and injuries to rest up before next weeks long away trip down to Cornwall to play Duchy HC.
As always many thanks to those who came and supported both games.

North Somerset B 1- South Glos A 5
North Somerset 3rd team had a tough fixture on Saturday against top of the table South Glos. Half term absences and injuries meant a reshaped squad, with Steve Geary standing in as goal keeper.
The first half saw North under a lot of pressure, as South Glos played the ball well around the field, always seeming to have a spare player in midfield to collect and distribute the ball. But although the opposition were dominating possession, they lacked a cutting edge in attack and the few times they got shots away keeper Geary was able to make good saves.
Ben Jones was making a welcome appearance for North and his pacy and silky skills on the ball gave North hope of challenging South Glos when they were in possession.
At half time, the score was still nil-nil, and North went into the lead in the second half when a period of sustained pressure ended up with a penalty flick being awarded, which Jones comfortably converted.
South Glos attacked with renewed vigour and with centre back Pete Mansell having to limp off injured the reshaped North defence could not cope so well under renewed pressure. South Glos equalised following a short corner, then went into the lead when they were awarded a penalty flick after a shot hit the last defender on the line.
The last 10 minutes saw South Glos score 3 more, but the score line was a little harsh on a spirited performance by the home team.