Honiton Hornets Hockey Club secured a narrow victory over ISCA 3s.

The team faced ISCA 3s in Exeter with uncertainty about the opponents following ISCA's summer split from Exeter University.

Despite the uncertainty, Honiton started the match strongly, putting pressure on the ISCA players right from the beginning.

The game was tightly contested, with both teams showcasing their skills and having chances to score.

Halfway through the first half, the Honiton Hornets broke the deadlock with a short corner strike from Sophie George, showing significant improvement.

The goal came after well-worked passes from Vanessa Trude and Abbie Empson up the pitch.

An initial attempt by Abbie was denied due to an ISCA foot on the line, but she took advantage of the umpire's allowance and secured the second shot.

However, the two-goal lead was short-lived, as ISCA managed to score shortly before halftime.

The second half resumed with both teams having numerous chances, maintaining the competitive spirit.

Once again, it was the Hornets who increased their lead back to two goals.

Kathryn Empson intercepted an ISCA pass in midfield and swiftly passed it to Abbie, who made a quick pass to leave Sophie with just the keeper to beat.

For the next 15 minutes, the score remained unchanged, and Honiton had to work hard as a team to keep ISCA at bay.

ISCA created several opportunities to close the gap, but the Honiton defence, including a notable clearance on the line from Kathryn, held firm.

With 10 minutes to go, the score stood at 3-2 in favour of Honiton.

Both teams' goalkeepers were nursing injuries, adding to the tension as the match could have swung either way.

Short corners were saved at both ends as the clock ticked down, and Honiton worked to control the ball and use up as many seconds as possible.

In the final minutes, the Hornets managed to secure another goal, making their win safe.

An initial shot from Izzy Funnell was saved by a defender, but the ball became lost under the ISCA keeper.

When it reappeared, it bounced off another defender and ended up in the net, with Izzy credited with the goal.

The match concluded with a jubilant Hornets' win, placing them third in the table at this early stage of the season.

Kathryn Empson received the most Player of the Match votes, with Hannah Empson trailing closely behind.