For the second year running Millwey Rise got the better of K and M Polonia in a Devon Intermediate Cup tie, writes Dick Sturch.

This meeting was so nearly a re-run of last season’s cup meeting when Millwey squeezed through 5-4 – on this occasion a thrilling contest ended 4-3.

This time the visitors again made a very positive start to the game and, within minutes Nathan Hoole in the Millwey goal was forced to make a smart save.

They followed this up moments later with a corner which was cleared, but the home side took some time to settle down and put their opponents under any pressure. It was left to Levi Hoole to open the scoring when he latched on to a through ball and beat the keeper with a well struck shot. This encouraged Millwey to put their opponents under more pressure and from a Matty Lewis pass Tyler Warren tapped the ball home to increase their lead after twenty minutes.

However, Millwey were undone when, after a goalmouth scramble, the visitors pulled a goal back. Just minutes before half-time the home side increased their lead once more with the goal of the match (and an early contender for ‘goal of the season’) when Millwey defender Nick Land rocketed the ball home with a terrific volley from outside the penalty area.

Five minutes after the restart Sam Turner rounded the visitors’ keeper to score from a Tyler Warren assist. Millwey then put themselves under a lot of self imposed pressure with some lackadaisical passing and it took a save with his knees by their keeper to keep the visitors out.

Midway through the half a Polonia forward reduced the home side’s lead when he stabbed the ball home after more indecisive play by the defence. This was further exacerbated by an error from the Millwey keeper that gave the visitors their third goal and set up a nail biting finish. Nathan Wormsley saw his shot cleared for a corner in the dying moments and at the final whistle the home side limped home 4-3 to go into the next round.

Zac Meaker had a sound game in the middle of the back four and Sam Burke was again prominent in midfield.

There are no games for either Millwey first team or second team this coming Saturday (September 24).