SOME of Caradon’s senior sides were in cup action over the weekend with mixed success.

Saturday saw the women’s thirds take on their own fourth team, and as expected, ran out comfortable winners.

Despite missing several players, the fourths put their teammates under sustained pressure, creating numerous opportunities and testing goalkeeper Jen Ross-Thomas before Anna Gubbins took over and continued to make impressive saves.

The threes delivered their strongest performance yet, showcasing improved communication, passing and teamwork with goals coming from Katie Jones (2), Leah Jones, Lynsey White, Daisy Wrigley and Charlotte Murray.

Both sides embraced the challenge, even swapping positions towards the end for some added fun.

Jones earned the star player honours for an excellent performance, rounding off an enjoyable contest full of effort and club spirit.

Caradon’s men’s seconds bowed out of the England Hockey Tier Four Bowl on Saturday after a dramatic first-round encounter against higher-league opponents Ocean City Seconds, losing 4-2 in a penalty flick shootout.

In atrocious weather conditions, the Yellows made a nervous start and conceded an early scrappy goal. However, they gradually settled, producing some excellent passing hockey and creating several opportunities to level the score before half-time.

The second half proved equally eventful. Caradon defended resolutely while temporarily reduced to ten players, before goalkeeper Joel Tamblyn produced a superb penalty flick save to keep his side in contention.

Caradon eventually found their equaliser through a well-worked short corner. David Brice won the set-piece, Hannan Currah injected, Liam Champion trapped, and Drew Champion fired into the bottom corner to make it 1-1.

Tamblyn continued to impress with several excellent saves as Ocean City searched for a winner. Caradon also threatened, even during another spell with ten players, but neither side could find a decisive goal.

The match went to penalty flicks, where Liam Champion and Ted Dyer scored for the Cornishmen. However, two further attempts were saved, allowing the Plymouth outfit to secure a 4-2 shootout victory.

Despite the cup exit, Caradon can take great pride in matching higher-league opposition over 70 minutes,

Sunday saw the seconds in action less than 24 hours later as they travelled to Truro Fourths for their Cornwall Cup fixture, bolstered by several of the thirds who stepped up to help the squad.

Caradon started brightly, creating several chances and putting the hosts under pressure, however, Truro gradually settled and took the lead with a simple finish at the back post.

The East Cornwall outfit went into half-time 1-0 down, but had shown plenty of promise, with Arthur Batty, Matty Pennington-Ridge and Isaac North particularly influential.

Caradon responded well after the break, moving the ball quicker and increasing the pressure. Their persistence paid off when Sam Pennington-Ridge improvised brilliantly from a short corner, lifting the ball over the goalkeeper to level.

The game then developed into an entertaining end-to-end contest, with both sides creating opportunities, Truro regaining the lead following a scrappy short-corner routine, with the ball ricocheting through the defence and over the line.

Refusing to give up, the Yellows pushed forward in search of an equaliser. With seconds remaining, another short corner provided one final opportunity. Pennington-Ridge’s effort was stopped by a defender, but North reacted quickest to force the ball home and secure a dramatic 2-2 draw, a fine result with many of the third team players making valuable contributions.