COLWALL Women's hockey team travelled to Bristol eager to show their real potential as a side and used their experience and flair to gradually break down a young and skillful Portishead side.

PORTISHEAD 1, COLWALL 4

The first ten minutes was frantic with the Bristol side taking the initiative. After earning several penalty corners and creating a few goal mouth incidents the home team opened the scoring with a set piece penalty corner.

This only served to kick start Colwall into gear and immediately from the restart began to gradually string together some excellent attacking moves. Superb, disciplined defending from Jo Dinnie, Emma Twigg and Vicky Riley, combined with the surging runs of Polly Bounds and Karen Hackley eventually proved too much for the Bristol side. A free hit on the edge of the circle was deflected past the Portishead keeper by Nick Hannigan to level the scoring.

With Portishead now on the back foot, Colwall sensed their vulnerability and worked hard for a second goal.

The second half continued with the midfield enjoying the freedom to distribute the ball across the pitch. Seven minutes of scintillating hockey produced three excellent goals which effectively killed off the opposition. Colwall's second came when Karen Hackley ran from the halfway line, rounded several defenders and slotted the ball past the advancing keeper.

Jackie Styles added a third, and then Karen Hackley made it four within seconds of the restart. Despite earning several penalty corners in the remaining 20 minutes, Portishead could still not breach the stubborn Colwall defence.

Colwall hope they can take this form in to Saturday's game against St Austell at Ledbury Leisure Centre, start 12.30pm.