Underhill Group Plymouth & West Devon Combination Senior Division Tavistock 2nds 1 SWEB 0 DESPITE a mid-week evening kick off in what approached sub-zero temperatures this game immediately got off to a brisk and lively start. Here were two well matched teams producing regular patches of quality football combined with a large supply of gritty determination . Tavistock pressurised the SWEB defence throughout the first forty-five minutes delivering some nice one-touch football and creative interplay, but SWEB, not to be outdone, countered whenever the opportunity presented itself. On balance Tavistock had the better of the first-half and the start of the second saw little change, but maintaining a determined defence the visitors routinely denied Tavistock access to their goal and continued to be a danger with some fine attacking football. The elusive breakthrough finally came in the 70th minute with Tavistock?s persistence eventually paying off. A well placed cross from the left wing found a virtually unmarked Martin Hancock, who produced an exceptional first-time volley from the edge of the area giving the SWEB goalkeeper no chance. It would have been easy for the home side at this stage to throw everybody back in defence and just hold on. But both teams were still full of fight and the game was far from over. A shot from Paul Cowling bounced agonisingly off the wrong side of the crossbar in the 78th minute and SWEB were unlucky not to get a equaliser in injury time, when a ferocious free-kick was brilliantly turned over the bar by keeper Steve Williams. Overall a first-class performance from both teams.
