Devon Senior Cup

Feniton 3

Okehampton Argyle 4

WITH several players unavailable the result was all the more satisfying as Argyle booked their place in the third round of the cup.

Neil Agnew returned to midfield and Daniel Gibbs, Jerome Whatley and Ian Gill were all given their first team debuts for this season.

Argyle, playing up the slope, set the early pace and Gibbs and Carey tested the keeper with long-range shots. From a short corner, Maddax cut inside and unleashed a thunderbolt drive which nestled in the roof of the net.

Gibbs, Carey and Agnew were dominant in midfield, winning every tackle and header, and provided excellent cover for the defence.

Feniton resorted to long balls over the top which Argyle's defence surprisingly failed to cope with. This spurred on Feniton who found themselves back in the game, scoring from close range after a defensive mix-up. They went ahead when poor marking after a poor clearance found the Feniton forward one-on-one with Bailey who rifled the ball past the stranded keeper. Feniton then had chances to add to their score but woeful shooting let them down.

After the break Argyle started to use Whatley and the impressive Yip, wide on the flanks more offensively. On one attack Whatley beat two defenders, reached the by-line and squared the ball back to Maddax, who drilled it home.

Feniton were pinned inside their own half and Gill and Carey had good chances saved by the keeper. Every time Argyle moved the ball wide Whatley and Yip created openings and the latter forced a double save from the keeper — the second an acrobatic fingertip save to deny Yip a certain goal.

From the corner Gill rounded his marker and side-footed home to put Argyle back in front with only five minutes to go.

Feniton pushed players forward, Soby, M Vernon and K Gill had been bystanders, in the second half, but failed to pick up players from a speculative cross and somehow the ball found its way into the bottom corner of the net giving Bailey no chance.

With extra time looming, Gill controlled a long punt from Bailey and flicked the ball past his marker. He saw the keeper off his line and tried to lob the ball over him from 30 yards. The keeper tipped the ball onto the crossbar, for the ever-alert Maddax to score the winner.

Argyle travel to East Budleigh this week in the East Devon Cup.