Devon last night held off a fightback from the South & West Counties Championship holders, with a 4-3 victory over Gloucestershire at Newton Abbot.
The reigning champions were starting their defence of the trophy but found themselves three goals behind by half time, although Devon did admit that scoreline was ‘a little flattering’.
Rosanna Blacker hit a Devon post but the hosts then struck three times in a 14-minute spell.
Nat Matthews netted twice from distance and Nia Owen forced the ball home in-between.
Blacker reduced the arrears 10 minutes after the restart but Abi Breban’s daisy-cutter from 20 yards restored the three-goal cushion.
Still with 17 minutes left, Blacker blasted her second into the roof of the net and into the final 7 minutes Maddy Brown’s strike whistled in to close the gap to a single goal.
The visitors threw everything at Devon but the home side managed to hold on to make it four points from two games.
The next match in the competition is on Sunday 12th August, when Gloucestershire entertain Wiltshire at Oaklands Park.
