Beer Albion moved up to sixth place in the Macron Premier Division table with a 4-0 win away at Kentisbeare, writes Richard Honnor.
The playing conditions and the narrow pitch did not make for a great footballing spectacle and for 70 minutes the Fishermen were made to work really hard for their victory by a determined, physical Kentisbeare side.
However, in the final 20 minutes it was the Fishermen's superior fitness that came to the fore as they ran out comfortable winners.
The first half was evenly contested with neither keeper being seriously tested until Beer went ahead on the stroke of half-time when, after the home side failed to clear a corner, Alex Hunt scored from a couple of yards out.
Immediately after break the Fishermen increased their lead when Finley Rooke found winger Giles Basson in the clear with a 20-yard cross-field pass and the youngster took the ball on and slotted it into the right hand corner past the advancing keeper.
Kentisbeare hit back and took the game to Beer creating a couple of chances from set-pieces, but the Beer defence in which Fraser Beaumont and George Harwood stood out, were equal to the task.
The Fishermen always looked dangerous on the counter and, after wide man Jay Catley had missed the target from six yards out on 69 minutes, he atoned to make it 3-0 a minute later with a shot from 15 yards, after taking another pinpoint pass from Finley Rooke.
Rooke, who is just 16 years old, was the outstanding player on the park as holding midfielder for 70 minutes and then in a more attacking role for the final 20 minutes.
The final goal came on 73 minutes when striker Chris Long thundered an unstoppable 30-yard free kick into the top corner.
This Saturday (December 7), the Fishermen face a stern test when they play Devon League outfit Exmouth Town Reserves a place in the quarter-finals of the Devon Premier Cup. Kick-off at the Furzebrake is at 2:15 pm and the match sponsor is East Devon Physiotherapy & Sports Injury Clinic.
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