Jackson Vending

Devon & Exeter Premier

Tap & Barrel 1

Okehampton Argyle 1

THIS was probably the best Argyle have played as a team all season. They knew it would be their toughest encounter in the run-in as Tap can be an intimidating side.

But Argyle got in early and showed they were not going to back down. They took the lead on the half-hour when a fine through found Jamie Halpin and he scored.

But it could have been so different, Shaun made two excellent saves to keep Argyle in the game and Tap missed a penalty.

Argyle did not give Tap any time on the ball and it broke up their play and reduced them to long balls forward, which were dealt with easily.

In the second half Tap pushed forward and started to get a foothold. Disaster struck on the hour, when a through-ball found a Tap player free and on-side and his chip found the back of the net.

But Argyle did not let their heads drop.

Both sides had chances but the best chance fell to Argyle with only minutes to go - the ball was played into Halpin whose shot beat the stranded keeper but unfortunately not the cover centre-half who cleared the ball off the line.

Pinhoe 2

Okehampton Argyle 1

PINHOE were the next stop on Argyle?s travels. The visitors never got going in this game and when Pinhoe took a deserved lead midway through the first half Argyle looked crestfallen.

They did have chances but they were not taken and 1-0 was how it stood at half-time.

The second-half started a bit better for Argyle with a little more urgency but they were unable to put shots on target until with 15 minutes left they broke. Mark Burdus was on hand to put the ball in the net.

But it only took five minutes for Pinhoe to restore their advantage. A slip from Danny Maddax gave Pinhoe?s winger a run at goal and his cross was headed home unchallenged at the far post.

Exeter St Thomas 1

Okehampton Argyle 2

ON a hard surface with a strong wind neither team played any football of note.

Argyle?s first chance came early in the match. Ewan Simpson played a through-ball for Steve Williams but the keeper just got to it first.

But in the seventh minute Argyle took the lead. A ball played through found Jamie Halpin whose touch took it round the keeper and he had the easy task of scoring into an open net. This should have been the catalyst for more but with injuries and knocks and not having time to settle between matches Argyle were playing below par.

St Thomas were next to score. On the half-hour a free kick was headed away by Chris Dearing. It hit Danny Maddax and fell to a St Thomas player who put his first time shot away.

The second half was a little better for Argyle but chances were still few and far between. It was not until the hour that

they scored the winning goal following a quick break. The ball was played to Lloyd Chapman who managed to make his way through the defenders? tackles to score from close range. In the last 15 minutes St Thomas threw players forward in the hope of getting a goal but Argyle?s defence stood firm.

Elmore 0

Okehampton Argyle 5

THIS was an emphatic win for Okehampton over a side that boasted four Screwfix League players among their ranks.

It only took Okehampton five minutes to open the scoring. A long clearance from Shaun Sandercock reached new signing, Steve Hackett to beat the keeper.

Elmore were limited to half chances before Okehampton put together the move of the match to double their lead. There was some fine one -touch football in the lead up to the goal and the final pass found Lloyd Chapman who beat a couple of players and shot into the top left hand corner.

Elmore started the second-half a bit livelier than they finished the first and battled well with Okehampton. But with 20 minutes to go Okehampton gained a free-kick, taken by Danny Maddax, just outside the penalty area and from the resulting kick went 3-0 up.

Five minutes later an identical free-kick was converted by Chris Dearing. With five minutes to go Steve Hackett, who had been a thorn in Elmore?s side, gained Okehampton a penalty after the goalkeeper had flattened him. Shaun Sandercock scored the spot kick.

This was a very good all round performance from Okehampton and keeps them in with a chance of the runners-up spot in the league.

This Saturday Argyle are at home to Cullompton Rangers. All players to meet at the clubhouse at 2pm. Kick-off 3pm.