Premier Division 2B

KS Cougars 1,

Somerset Gryphons 5

Continuing their run in this year’s Premiership KS took on league leaders Somerset Gryphons in a mixed bag of a match.

Despite some stout de­fending by Gemma Harvey and Rachel Roberts, Gryph­ons scored three untidy goals in quick succession from inside a crowded D.

Goalkeeper Claire Jones was on great form again in denying several more chances to the Gryphons forwards as they looked to increase the gap.

Despite the early scoreline, it was not all one-way traffic as Chloe Harvey came close to pulling one back after a storming run before Helen Sy­mons and Lou Read both came close from short corners as the Cougars looked dangerous on the attack.

A tactical tweak in formation and focus on closer marking on the main Gryphons playmaker allowed KS to return to form in the second half.

As the Cougars look­ed to step up in the second half and take the game to the Somerset side, Bex Darke and Fi Wadey flanked Emily Read across the middle as the trio dug deep to deny Gryphons attacking space.

Gemma Samuel and Nat Elliott worked tirelessly up front in chasing down defensive transfers as they work­ed in shifts with Fern Tucker and Sarah Bud­g­en to maintain pace, allowing the Cougars to play higher up the pitch.

With a deeper midfield, the Cougars im­proved the structure of their play out of de­fence and were finding the danger balls into space up front with more regularity.

With Lou Read sweeping behind the midfield the Cougars started to step up and take ground as Helen Symons and captain Harvey began to link with their forwards, driving into space to create the breaks.

Good pressure was soon converted into up­grades in and around the Somerset D as the Cougars began to attack in numbers.

The Cougars short corner routines are looking slick this year and from a direct strike Symons was first to the rebound.

Showing great vision a clever slip to the left found Fern Tucker in space who received and slapped home for a great finish on 60 minutes to restore some deserved pride and perk up the fantastic crowd.

Another late Gryph­ons shortie saw the second half end in a 1-1 draw which more closely resembled the contest throughout the majority of the match, as KS suffered from the untidy first half leaving them a mountain to climb.

Good structural play and 100 per cent team commitment in the second half was summed up in Bex Darke’s woman-of-the-match award.

As the Cougars reflected on the game over sumptuous post-match teas from new sponsor The Church House Inn at Church­stow, it was definitely a game of two halves.

With a full squad and a more controlled start, the return fixture promises an opportunity for revenge.