Somerset Cup quarter final

Chard 1 Bridgwater Ladies 1st 5

Bridgwater booked their place in the semi-finals of the Somerset Cup with a 5-1 win at Chard on Sunday.

Bridgwater were always in command of the game, dictating the pace but it was 20 minutes into the game before they got their first goal - tapped in by Kath Briggs.

This was closely followed by a second from Briggs after a good build-up from midfield.

Bridgwater won their first penalty corner in the second half and great link-up play from Laura Coles, enabled Donna Cooper deflect the ball into the goal from the line.

Briggs eventually secured her hat-trick with some tireless work up front.

It was Chard who scored next, catching Bridgwater napping from the restart with something of a consolation goal.

Becky Oram's work rate for Bridgwater was rewarded with a fourth goal from open play.

With only five minutes to go, drama ensued when Bridgwater keeper Amy Burridge was deemed to have kicked the ball outside of the circle and given a green card with the automatic two minute suspension.

Bridgwater were left to defend a penalty corner without their recognised keeper.

Lucy Burridge stepped up to wear the helmet, and the Bridgwater defence dealt with the penalty corner, and played out the rest of the game in their opponents' half to reach the semi-finals of the Somerset Cup.

Somerset Cup quarter final

Bridgwater Mens 1st 6 Yeovil & Sherborne 2

With their tails up following on from a win against Exeter University on Saturday, Bridgwater needed to re-focus on cup hockey for the quarter final match up of the Somerset Cup against Yeovil & Sherborne.

Bridgwater used their warm-up well and flew out of the starting blocks, netting three goals in the first ten minutes, with two from Liam Pigden and one from Ash Woolmington.

Great goal scoring was supported by high quality defensive work from Scott Mills who nullified any attacking threat from Yeovil.

It wasn’t until the last five minutes of the half when Scott Mills danced past the on-rushing defensive runners only to be denied by a save from the Yeovil keeper, but Ash Woolmington was on hand to bury the loose ball.

At half-time Bridgwater set out to get structure back in their game but it was Yeovil & Sherborne that strung some good passing movements together and struck twice in ten minutes.

Bridgwater recovered and the attacking flair of Tom Lott, Ben Rogers and Liam Pigden led to a third goal for Pigden -his first hat-trick for the team.

Bridgwater finished with a sixth goal to take the game beyond Yeovil, with Sean Headaux getting the ball over the goal line.

University of Exeter 4th 1 Bridgwater Mens 1st 2

Bridgwater travelled with a squad of 14 to Exeter for what they hoped would be an easier task, following last week’s loss in a tough game against Swansea University.

Bridgwater had the ball was in the back of the net early on with Ben Rogers notching the first goal.

It was then the turn of the returning Tom Lott to score with a lovely reverse stick shot to beat the keeper and make it 2-0 inside 15 minutes.

Exeter responded in the second half with a goal from a short corner, closing the gap.

But Bridgwater saw out the match with some great saves from keeper Ewan Campbell.

Bridgwater held on to earn a valuable three points and create a four point cushion from the relegation zone, with a Somerset Cup match on Sunday to follow.