THE Devonport Subbies halted the South Launceston Suns' stellar start to the Greater Northern League Hockey season in the first 20 minutes of their game at St Leonards.
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The Suns opened the scoring with a field goal for Gene Purcell just minutes into the game only to have the Subbies level the score four minutes later from the stick of Callum Dubeld.
Devonport applied the pressure from here finding a way around keeper Jesse Duncan twice in the next 10 minutes.
The Suns stepped up their defence keeping the Subbies scoreless as the teams headed to the break.
The second half was a scrappy affair with missed traps and opportunities for both sides, with no alteration to the scoreboard.
The Subbies were lacking drive from the back after coach Tony Hays left the field with a cut to the head.
City Marians had Launceston City on the back foot early in their game with a Dave Kenworthy corner conversion and a field goal for Liam Grundy taking them to the break in control.
Some half-time position changes saw the Launceston side post the first score for the second half to bring the game alive.
The resultant arm wrestle saw scoring chances go wide of the mark for both sides until late in the second half when David Kenworthy again made short work of a penalty corner to seal the game.
South Burnie opened the scoring against the flow of play in its clash with Launceston side Tamar Churinga.
Scott Denby set the scene for the home side, posting the only score for the first half and giving the side its first win for the season.
Tamar missed plenty of chances as the game progressed only to have the Hawks front man Denby post another.
Tamar kept the pressure on to score a penalty corner conversion in the dying stages from the stick of Reddy.
The reigning premiers Queechy Penguins found the Smithton Saints a tough ask on home turf with just a single goal the difference.
Qs coach Khan Riley found a way past old training pal Lynch to post a goal in the first half.
From this point on it was a battle of the defences as the teams scrambled for supremacy.
Solid defensive saves from Saints keeper Jason Lynch and the Qs fullback Ryan Horne, who were covering ground to make saves at the other end to keep the game within reach of both teams.
RESULTS - Devonport d South Launceston Suns 3-1. Goals - Suns: G. Purcell. SUBBIES: C. Dubeld, B. Will, B. Menzie. Best - Suns: B. Buchannan, R. Gates, R. Woolford. SUBBIES: B. Loone, D. Henry, J. Luck
City Marians d Launceston City 3-1. Goals - City Marians: D. Kenworthy 2, L. Grundy. Launceston: B. Walker. Best - Marians: D. Kenworthy, A. Lamprey, C. Upchurch. Launceston: D. Gill, G. Osborne, J. Stebbings.
South Burnie d Tamar Churinga 2-1 Goals - South Burnie: S. Denby 2. Tamar: Tamar: Reddy. Best - South Burnie: R. Ambrose, T. Trevarthan, K. Edmunds. Tamar: R. Partridge, G. McGuire, E. Lawrence.
Queechy Penguins d Smithton 1-0. Goals - Queechy: K. Riley.
Best - Queechy: B. Withington, K. Riley, R. Horne. Smithton: J. Lynch, J. Coombes, J. Innes-Smith.