CHARD A beat Taunton Vale D 8-l in South East 2 of the Davis Wood league on Saturday and have now found the net 24 times in their last two matches.

The team is getting into the habit of scoring early and within the first five minutes Dan Stone had found the net.

Three more goals were to follow at regular intervals before half time.

Adam Veitch grabbed the second and third and Alex Maggs the fourth before Vale reduced the deficit with the last action of the half.

A penalty corner was initially saved, but Chard failing to clear their lines and were punished.

Despite this defensive slip, keeper Berge Balian paid tribute to the team’s defensive resilience, describing it as their best performance so far this season, as Chard tackled and harried effectively whenever Vale had the ball.

Chard re-established their four goal lead with another Stone strike within three minutes of the second half getting under way.

This was a perfectly executed drag flick high into the net and just inside the post, from a penalty corner.

It wasn’t long before Chard’s use of their right flank created further goals for Maggs and for Veitch’s hat-trick following slick passing and good movement off the ball.

Maggs went on to complete his own hat-trick with Chard’s eighth and there would have been a third hat-trick had the Vale keeper not made a stunning save from Stone’s full-blooded drive from the top of the D.

Captain Gareth Eggle and the ever willing Harvey Dening on the left wing went close to adding to the tally as did Trevor Goss and newly-engaged James ‘Spud’ Spurdle as Chard turned up the pressure on the Taunton defence.

Vale are bottom of the table but competed well throughout. Balian saw more action than during the 16-0 win against Sidmouth & Ottery the previous week, finishing the match with a double save as the visitors pressed for a late consolation.

The importance of Chard’s commitment defensively and eagerness to win the ball back was recognised with the man-of-the-match award going to Steve Mahoney in the back four.

Chard: Berge Balian, Chris Knight, Dave Lury, Paul Tratt, Steve Mahoney, Kyle Anderson, Gareth Eggle (capt), James Spurdle, Jason Goddard, Harvey Dening, Dan Stone (vice), Alex Maggs, Adam Veitch, Trevor Goss. Umpires: Hannah McGown and Jim Sainsbury.