St Martin?s 3
Hatherleigh Town 6
HAVING not played since mid-December Hatherleigh were glad this fixture was on, despite the pitch resembling a bog.
Hatherleigh took only ten minutes to take the lead. Michael Cooper went forward down the right and knocked in a cross. Simon James controlled the ball with his back to goal, spun and looped his shot over the keeper and into the goal.
The equaliser came purely due to the conditions. A wind-assisted kick from the St Martin?s keeper came down in the Hatherleigh penalty area. Simon Pearson?s intended clearance went straight up in the air and when the ball dropped a St Martin?s forward was first to reach it and fire it in.
St Martin?s took the lead with a penalty kick after Cooper was harshly judged to have fouled the left winger.
Hatherleigh got back into the game when Vernon beat his man on the right and played the ball in to Adams. The ball broke to James and he fired in his second goal of the game.
The second half started with end-to-end football as both teams tried to gain the upper hand.
The home side struck first. A corner was swung in and met with a good header. The ball was blocked on the goal-line but the rebound was scrambled in.
The home team broke clear again soon after and Hatherleigh were grateful to goalkeeper Toop who pulled off a fine save.
Hatherleigh?s third goal came following a string of corners. When the ball was only half cleared to Dymond on the left, he swung it back in and Adams rose highest to glance his header into the corner of the net.
This seemed to knock the stuffing out of St Martin?s.
Goal four came when Dymond was fastest to react in a crowded goalmouth. The fifth saw James complete his hat-trick following a good build-up down the left, involving young debutant Sam Bedford.
The icing on the cake came at the death when a break through the middle ended with a cool left footer finish from the edge of the box by sub Dan Timms.
This Saturday home to Exeter Civil Service, kick-off 2.30pm.