HOCKEY: Devizes are back on the up (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

HOCKEY: Devizes are back on the up

2:30pm Friday 15th March 2013 in Sport By Dan Barnes

IT will be party time at Devizes on Saturday as the first team celebrate clinching promotion to the Central One division of the Davis Wood Hockey League.

Devizes folded their first XI last summer after failing to win a game in the Premier Division One last season.

But after re-building their squad, Ollie Smith’s side secured second place in Central Two with a 3-3 draw at Westbury and United Banks B last weekend.

Devizes also survived a five-point deduction for fielding an ineligible player earlier this season and coach Smith is delighted with his young squad’s efforts.

“We’ve got four or five experienced players and after that, our side is made up of youngsters that have come up through the ranks,” said Smith, whose side host Wootton Bassett in their final game this weekend.

“They’ve done really well and we’re pleased to be going up. What happened with the points deduction at the start of the season was really frustrating but we decided to just forget about out and concentrate on our hockey.

“We definitely made the right decision to drop down from the Premier One because our players just wouldn’t have coped at that level – we’re building things in the right way.”

Smith scored twice, while Josh Bond was also on target against Westbury.