Seaton victims of smash and grab

SEATON Town were left feeling they had been victims of a classic ‘smash and grab’ as they were dumped out of the East Devon Senior Cup, beaten 2-1 by visiting Budleigh Salterton Reserves.

Town started well and were deservedly ahead, courtesy of Josh French spot kick, but the visitors levelled with a speculative cross-cum-shot and did similar with almost the final kick of the contest to seal a 2-1 win.

Town boss Josh Stunell said: “We were mugged, no doubt about that. It was a case of backs to the wall for them as we enjoyed almost total domination.I guess you could say it was not meant to be!”

There’s no game for Town this weekend as Stunell has a number of players on County duty. They are next in action on the final Saturday of the month when they entertain Exeter based Newtown.

Feniton slipped to a narrow League defeat against a Halwill side they had beaten just three weeks before!

When the sides met at Acland Park on September 25, the Blues emerged winners by the odd goal in five. The game in North Devon saw Feniton slip to a 2-1 defeat, leaving boss Mark Kingdon to lament: “Halwill know how to play their ground and that, coupled with a number of well below par performances across the park from my lads, was our undoing. What was of concern to me was the apparent lack of effort in certain areas of our team and that’s disappointing.”

Paul Dowling, one of the few players to come out of the game with much praise from his boss, struck the Blues’ goal.

This weekend, Kingdon can once again call upon the service of skipper Stuart Blackmore, Matt Kingdon, Kev Kelly and, if he passes a fitness test, Sam Geake, for the Division One game at home to table topping, one hundred per cent, East Budleigh.

Beer Albion were knocked out of the East Devon Senior Cup by visiting Alphington.

The Exeter side scored three goals in extra-time but, the Fishermen were left feeling a little hard done by as manager Mark Ward explained saying: “We don’t feel the game should have gone to the extra half hour for we had what we felt was a legitimate goal wiped off when Luke Bartlett’s 85th minute effort, that came after a superb sweeping move, was disallowed by a linesman’s flag for an apparent off-side.”

That late ‘goal’ was one of two disallowed in normal time and Johnny Cooper was also denied by a wonderful save from the Alphas’ keeper. Despite the defeat, there were plenty of positives for Albion, none more so than an impressive debut from Ollie Morgan and another superb shift from Matty Rowson.

Next up for the Fishermen is a trip to Exmouth on Saturday to face bottom of the table Ammies in a top flight League game.

Honiton Town are still without a Division One win this term, but they emerged from a game at high flying Barnstaple with their heads held high, despite going down 3-1.

Sam Farmer scored what proved to be only a consolation for battling Town who had a number of excellent performances, especially those by Joe Webber and Dan Broome. Boss Kevin Blackwell said: “We were hamstrung 20 minutes in with the sending off of our keeper, but re-grouped and gave a very good side a good run for their money. There is certainly light at the end of the tunnel , if we can get that first win under our belts, it will give us the boost to kick-start the season.”

Next up for Blackwell and his men is Saturday’s trip to a third- from-bottom side Chagford when they could leapfrog the third from bottom side.

Honiton Town Reserves were beaten 2-0 at home by Culm United in a league game and on Saturday, they entertain top of the table Awliscombe in an East Devon derby game.

Colyton made Bill Slee Cup progress with a 3-1 win over Sidmouth Town Reserves.

The Vikings had the better of the opening exchanges but, when the lively Callum Somers was bundled to the floor on 15 minutes, Mike Cullum delivered the perfect ball for Richard Tratt to score the opener.

The lead lasted just two minutes when a Jason Potter error was seized upon and Colyton keeper Kris Reid was left to pick the ball out of the net.

For the remainder of the half Colyton were on the ropes but they dug deep, and half-time arrived with things all square at 1-1.

Three minutes after the re-start Colyton’s stand-out player on the day, Gary Sims, worked his way down the right before squaring for Tratt to pass the ball into the net and put Colyton ahead once more.

Victory was sealed in the 66th minute when skipper Paul Millman released young Somers and he scampered clear before slotting home to seal an impressive 3-1 win.

On Saturday, Colyton are in league action with a visit to win-less Exeter Civil Service, where a victory could elevate the villagers into a top three, Division two berth.

Offwell Rangers picked up a second win in five league outings with a 4-3 success over Lympstone.

After dominating the early proceedings and seeing the Lympets’ keeper make some superb saves, the deadlock was finally broken when skipper Andy Lord struck to send Rangers into the break with a 1-0 lead.

Lympstone equalised shortly after the re-start but, within a minute, Rangers regained the lead when Tony Yeboah scored. Back came the Lympets and a quick-fire double saw them take the lead at 3-2 and it might have been worse, but for a magnificent Matty Long save to deny Lympstone a fourth goal.

With eight minutes remaining, and Rangers staring defeat in the face, substitute Ollie Cramer levelled and there was still time for Lewis Couch to win it! Manager Nick Ogden said: “I am not sure how to feel! The lads deserve credit for a battling effort and showing real character, but the down side was how we threw away the initiative.”

The match was sponsored by Denhay Farms Ltd and they chose Ben Guilbert as Man of the Match.

Rangers meet Lympstone again this Saturday in the reverse league fixture.

Axmouth United battled against higher placed opponents before being edged out in a Football Express Cup tie.

Exeter-based side Dolphin went into the game with a 100 per cent record this term to date and it’s a measure of how well United played that there was just the one score in the first half, that by Dolphin after 20 minutes.

United had the ball in the net themselves, but Charlie Clarke’s excellent header was chalked off by the linesman’s flag for off-side.

After the break, Christian Burridge had a header cleared off the line and then the excellent Mike Challis beat the keeper only for his shot to crash against the crossbar.

It was not until the 75th minute that Dolphin added their second and they scored a third to seal a 3-0 victory.

Burridge was named Man of the Match and United boss Laurie Forino said: “The team did themselves proud and the Dolphin manager admitted that we gave them a real run for their money.”

This weekend United, who sit third in Division Six, entertain tenth placed UAU Exeter.

Awliscombe took a break from their all conquering Division Six league campaign to make Football Express Cup progress with a 2-0 win in the East Devon derby home game against Division Five outfit Dunkeswell Rovers.

This Saturday the Awls go in search of a sixth successive league win at Mountbatten Park, Honiton, where they will be taking an amazing defensive record that has seen them ship just one goal in their five outings to date!

The Dunks also return to League action on Saturday when they entertain Cullompton Rangers. In the same Division, Feniton Reserves travel to Westexe Rovers Reserves.