Mens 1XI Vs Firebrands

PLYMOUTH Marjon will start 2015 sixth in the West of England & South Wales Hockey League top flight following a 2-0 Premiership home defeat by promotion-chasing leaders Firebrands of Bristol.

Plymouth faced a tough finish to their testing 2014 programme and will start the New Year fixtures with an equally challenging task as they visit Firebrands’ promotion rivals Isca when Premiership action resumes on Saturday, January 17.

University of Exeter-based Isca are second in the table with a match in hand on Brands, whose 2-0 win at the University of St Mark & St John gives them a five-point lead at the top of the table heading into the mid-season midwinter break.

It took Brands 20 minutes to breach the Plymouth defence, with Tom Instone firing the visitors ahead.

Welsh international ace Rufus McNaught-Barrington doubled the visitors’ advantage with another cracking finish, from a penalty corner 20 minutes into the second half.

But for a superb Ben Blundy one-handed save, McNaught-Barrington would have made it 3-0 from another measured short corner strike just a few minutes later.

Plymouth responded with Josh White doing well to beat the Brands ‘keeper with a cracking first-time strike back across goal from the left, which – unfortunately for the Reds and their supporters – also flew just past the far post.

It was the closest the home side ventured to getting off the mark against an impressive Firebrands side, marshalled by player-coach and former Wimbledon playmaker Ben Dando, another visiting player with experience of playing in the England Hockey League Premier Division.

Frustrated Plymouth head coach Jamie Oxley said: “For the first goal we failed to step in front – which was a key part of our defensive plan – and they got behind us and scored.

“In the second half we again gifted them a penalty corner instead of making a simple clearance.

“Basically, Firebrands had a clear game plan and we helped them to secure their win with Christmas gifts.”

Read more: http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/Hockey-leagues-Match-reports/story-25713134-detail/story.html#ixzz3QguBuJd9