PENARTH Hockey Club recorded its first wins of the new Davis Wood Hockey League season, with the Firsts claiming a comfortable victory and the second XI bouncing back from a tough opening weekend.

Cardiff Medics 0-3 Penarth HC

Penarth visited their old stomping ground at Leckwith Stadium to take on a Cardiff Medics that caused a few problems last season, but found their hosts to be in accommodating mood.

The Bears started well and established their superiority by coming out on top of the opening encounters, but it still took a while for the scoreboard to show that same advantage.

The visitors duly opened the scoring midway through the opening half as a superb pass from Sam Docherty found Phil Lane, who then beat two men before squaring the ball for Matt Birch to produce a trademark slapshot to fire past the hapless Medics’ ‘keeper.

As the half went on, Penarth took greater control of procession, with goalkeeper Mark Harris barely getting a touch. Unable to add to their goal tally, however, the first half closed with the score remaining at 1-0.

After the break, however, Penarth wasted little time in wrapping up all three points, with Lane doubling the lead with a fantastic solo effort.

That spurred the visitors to greater heights and the game was finally put to bed after Birch won a penalty scorner and Chris Baker drag-flicked the resulting opportunity past the ‘keeper and into the top corner.

There will sterner tests of Penarth’s ability in the coming weeks, but the Vale side will be happy to have got off to a winning start with the expected scoring leaders finding the net early on.

Penarth HC ‘A’ 4-3 Neath ‘A’

Welcoming back a few regulars unavailable for the first game of the season, Penarth presented a stronger front for their opponents, but still appeared to be suffering a hangover from the 0-6 reverse against Llanishen and Caerphilly as they took time to find their stride.

The breakthrough, when it eventually came, followed a quick passing break down the left flank, with Dave Watkins feeding Tom Parkinson the final ball to slot home.

With Penarth in the ascendancy, the pressure moved firmly to the Neath end, and the home side’s second penalty corner of the game quickly added to the advantage as Craig Llewellyn found Watkins on the near post and the veteran forward finished deftly on the reverse stick.

A two-goal cushion, while comfortable, was never going to be enough at the half, with Penarth both needing to overcome the minus six deficit from week one and well aware that Neath only needed the slightest opportunity to strike back. Late pressure – and a series of penalty corners – at the end of the first half showed what the visitors were capable of and it did not take long for the gap to be halved as some poor defending allowed them to pull a goal back shortly after the interval.

Worse was to come for Penarth as Neath converted a penalty corner to level the scores and, for a while, it appeared that the visitors could be about to steal all three points. A second goal for Watkins, again the result of a quick break sparked by James Davies, settled Penarth nerves, and the restoration of the two-goal cushion, courtesy of Rory Vizard, appeared to have put the game firmly back in the grip of the home side.

Neath, however, refused to concede, and reduced the deficit once again by capitalising on a poor clearance and causing enough confusion in the Penarth D to benefit from a deflection off Llewellyn’s stick that left goalkeeper James Erasmus with no chance of saving.

Possession flowed from end to end in the closing minutes, with debutant Sam Salisbury showing a lot of promise linking between midfield and attack, but it was Neath on the attack when the final whistle sounded to bring relief to a Penarth side that should have made the game safe in the second half.

League games continue this weekend (Saturday, October 4), with the first XI looking to build on a 3-0 away win against Cardiff Medics when they host bottom of the table Cardiff and Met ‘C’, and the second XI travelling to Hawthorn to face the ‘other’ Llanishen and Caerphilly side in their division.

Penarth Hockey Club always welcomes new, old and returning players, umpires, supporters, friends and helpers regardless of age and ability. Training takes place on the artificial turf at Barry Sport Centre every Wednesday, with the Juniors in action between 6-7pm and Senior between 7-8pm.

Further information can be obtained from: club secretary Dave Stevens (d_stevens81@hotmail.co.uk).