PENARTH 7-5 North Somerset

After a series of ‘unofficial’ friendlies throughout August, the senior Penarth side upped the ante by facing off against a side from the parallel Conference South division as they look to build on the league and cup double that not only earned some welcome silverware for the Vale club but also elevated them further into the Wales and West echelon of the GoCrea8 Hockey League.

With a handful of new faces in the ranks, attracted to Penarth by the free-flowing hockey exhibited throughout 2015-16, the home side were able to create a lot of pressure on the North Somerset area, but also needed to defend against the strongest opposition faced in some time.

Penarth eventually ran out 7-5 winners on an afternoon where both goalkeepers got a good work-out, and will take heart from the performance of a side still missing some of its regulars as it moves closer to its Conference North debut on 1 October.