F A Vase 2nd Qualifying Round Ottery St Mary 2 Tavistock 5 AT the end it was a comfortable victory against their Devon County League opponents. The Lambs were without James Steer (illness), Nick Lewis (injury) and Paul Cowling withdrawing in the morning but welcomed back Mark Conday and John Gosling into the line up. Itt was the Otters who created the better of the chances in the first half. Scott Howarth shot wide from a Martin Sutcliffe corner with Gavin Hammon chipping wide when put through all within the first quarter of an hour. Mike Arscott headed over from a Chris Menhinick before the home side took the lead 5 minutes from the interval when Howarth raced away onto a through ball and despite Andy Meeds getting a touch it went in off the far post. Not a very good performance from the Lambs in the first half but they came out for the second with a lot more determination. Hobbs flicked the ball on for Conday only to see his shot touched onto the bar by keeper Adrian Pullin. Sutcliffe shot straight at Meeds when well placed and a great run from Hobbs saw Pullin pull off a great save to palm the ball up and over the bar all within the opening minutes of the half. The Lambs drew level on 49 minutes when a through ball into the edge of the area saw Menhinick fouled by Pullin for a penalty.Up stepped Shane Krac but Pullin saved and was adjudged to have come off his line with also encroachment from the home side to give the Lambs a second chance and this time Krac slotted home.It was the start of a 15 minute spell where the Lambs took total control. Hobbs ran across the area to turn the ball back into the path of Conday to fire home via the far post on 53 minutes. Five minutes later Conday got his second. Inter play between John Morris and Krac allowed Menhinick to cross for Conday to smash home. It was 4-1 four minutes later when Conday raced onto a ball out wide to turn inside and send in a cross that Hobbs took a touch to set himself up to lash home. The home side pulled a goal back a minute later when Howarth got down the wing to send in a cross that was not cleared and in a scramble the ball fell to Shane Gill to shoot through a crowd of players. But the Lambs were not going to allow any nervous ending to the game when they regained their 3 goal cushion with 15 minutes left. Hobbs raced onto a high through ball to shoot but it took a deflection off a defender for John Hadjiyianni, following up, to slot home for a fine victory for the Lambs to send them into the first round proper to be played on Saturday October 29. Forthcoming fixtures: It is Cup action again this Saturday when the Lambs travel to Plymouth Parkway in the Carlsberg South Western League Cup 1st round ko 3pm. Plymouth & West Devon Combination Senior Division Tavistock v Queens Arms Tamerton Note Kick off 2pm. Sunday: Tavistock Vets v CSSL/Indian Inn Langsford Park 10-30am. Sun 9th Tavistock Ladies v Feniton Langsford Park ko 3pm.
