Millwey Rise bounced back from the disappointment of a league defeat the week before to beat visiting K&M Polonia from Exeter by the odd goal in nine to reach the area last eight of the Devon Intermediate Cup, writes Dick Sturch.

The biggest surprise was the fact that this game was played considering the amount of rain that had fallen!

It was left to an early inspection by the referee to decide, and his decision turned out to be the correct one. The other surprise was the quality of football played by K&M Polonia considering they are mid-table, two divisions below the home side.

Millwey are currently experiencing a dismal run of form with no cohesion whatsoever. Their answer to everything appears to be a long ball out of defence in the hope that it may reach Levi Hoole. Any link-up play is at a minimum and what’s definitely missing is a functioning ‘engine room’ in mid-field. At no point during the game did the home team look comfortable.

Millwey opened the scoring with a well taken goal from Nathan Wormesley after 15 minutes. This was quickly followed by another for Levi Hoole. It then took only two minutes before K&M Polonia pulled one back with a well taken, powerful header. Hoole increased the home side’s lead once more from a penalty and then a Sam Turner strike increased the margin to three goals. The visitors, playing an attractive passing game, reduced the arrears three minutes before half time when Millwey’s defence failed to clear their lines. And even though, in the dying minutes, a rifling shot from Michael Knight grazed the Polonia crossbar and Sam Turner, added to his tally, to increase the home side’s lead, the visitors definitely finished the half on top.

Within five minutes of the restart Polonia reduced the arrears yet again with a powerful shot that gave the home keeper no chance. They should have had another a few minutes later but for a bad miss from the penalty spot. Hoole did get the ball in the net once more but was harshly judged to be offside. Millwey then quizzically substituted scorers Turner, and the industrious Wormesley when perhaps a re-jig of the midfield may have been a better option. On their departure further pressure was applied by the visitors and it came as little surprise when they reduced the arrears to a single goal which left a voluble Tea Hut terrace contingent to see out the 5 anxious minutes remaining. There was a universal sigh of relief around the ground when the final whistle went, together with a feeling of incredulity that a team, who had started the season with so much confidence, could in the course of a couple of games be reduced to one capable of putting themselves under so much self inflicted pressure.

Once again Levi Hoole up front and Nathan Hoole in goal figured high in the reason Millwey Rise go through to the next round.

From somewhere their manager must find the catalyst needed to gel the ability of the players he has at his disposal to reproduce their earlier confidence, which at the moment, appears sadly lacking.