Chard Hockey Club Men's first team travelled down to Exeter to face league leaders Isca, looking to ruin Isca’s unbeaten season.

Captain Danny Grabham asking for high intensity hockey from the start knowing Isca would do the same.

But some early pressure from Isca didn’t allow Chard to settle into the game very easily. The Backline of Oscar Smith, Danny Grabham, Nathan Johnson and Bertie Lupton weathered the storm early on.

As Chard gathered a foot hole into the game through the wingers of Alec Evans and Harvey Evans with using pace to exploit an older Isca defence. The opening goal stemmed from a Max Beale trademark aerial to Alec Evans which resulted in a penalty corner, where Beale’s drag flick initially saved was turned in from goal line badger Lupton.

Isca were not going to let the goal turn the game on its head started applying the pressure again, With a lot pressure comes chances and Isca finding a man on the back post found them level.

Problems arose for when Johnson was then green carded leaving chard with 10 men before half time but managed to keep the scores level at half time. 

At the start of the second half, Chard still down to 10 knew isca was gonna try and capitalise on the man advantage and early short corner lead to a drag flick being dispatched into the roof of the net with goalkeeper Cian Brown nearly guiding it over.

With Chard back up to 11 the middle triangle of Nick Parkinson, Riley Millett and Max Beale turned it up a gear finding Alec Evans on the right and with him finding his way to goal slotting the ball in far corner to draw the sides level.

It was  back and forth for the rest of the half where chard began to tire, where blasts of energy from off the bench from Matt Sheahan and Ben Berryman trying to turn the tide in chards favour.

There were a few goal mouth scrambles in Chards box cleared out and deflected by Jonny Crease. With moments where Isca were pinned out the back of their defence with the high work rate Alec Evans, Harvey Evans and Dan Batten looking to pinch the ball of them in hopes of a counterattack.

Moment of the second half was Cian Brown saving a reverse stick shot which was going top right which some would say would have been goal of the season.

Chard managed to hold onto a 2-2 draw with it being so hard to watch some of the spectators in the last 5 minutes refusing to watch. Isca showed why they were top unbeaten but Chard gave it their all and got the point.