South West Peninsula League Division One East

Okehampton Argyle 3

Axminster Town 4

OKEHAMPTON played some excellent football in this match but threw the game away in a 15-minute spell in the second half, when they seemed to lose concentration.

Due to injuries, Argyle had to call 47-year-old third team keeper Neil Clift into Peninsula League action. He made some fine saves and noticeably did a good job of shouting instructions to his team-mates in front of him, and he had no chance with any of the goals.

Okehampton started off well and their pace and movement unsettled Axminster. After seven minutes, Ed Squire ­picked up the ball on the half-way line and carried it 30 yards before blasting an unstoppable shot past the visitors' keeper to give Okehampton the lead.

Eleven minutes later and against the run of play, Axminster levelled when a poor clearance from the Argyle defence fell to Mark Hancock who, spotting Clift off his line, lobbed the ball in from 30 yards.

Okehampton continued to press and the visitors' keeper was tested by two good efforts from Squire, and further fine shots from Chris Wills, Stuart Entwhistle and Colin Marshall. Argyle midfielders George Pitts and Ed Squire were having fine games and their accurate passing was constantly troubling Axminster, and it was no surprise when seven minutes before the interval, Okehampton took the lead.

This time it was a fine through ball from Stuart Entwhistle that put Steve Kinsey in the clear, and the Argyle forward did really well to beat the Axminster keeper from close range.

Argyle began the second half where they left off and continued to press Axminster. Chris Wills was unlucky when he beat the goalkeeper, only to see an Axminster defender turn his effort away for a corner.

Okehampton should have finished the visitors off in this period of play but failed to take their chances, and were punished after 67 minutes when Axminster substitute Martin Hancock headed home from a right wing cross.

Four minutes later Jamie Barfoot gave the visitors the lead from close range after Clift had done well to parry his first shot.

With only eight minutes left, Axminster extended their lead when the Argyle defence failed to cut out a long throw, leaving Martin Hancock a simple header at the far post.

The drama was not yet over as in the last minute Ed Squire was brought down in the visitors' box.

The resulting penalty was blasted home by Steve Kinsey, but there was not enough time for Argyle to pull an equaliser out of the hat.

This Saturday: South West Peninsula League – Royal Marines away, 3pm; Devon & Exeter Senior 5 2nds v Ottery St Mary 2nds home, 3pm; Devon & Exeter Intermediate 3 3rds v Amory Argyle away 3pm.