Jackson Vending Devon & Exeter Premier
Pinhoe 1
Hatherleigh Town 2
THIS was not one of Hatherleigh?s better performances but they did enough to earn all three points.
Conditions were not ideal, the weather was hot and the pitch bumpy.
Hatherleigh took the lead after 15 minutes. A free kick was awarded 30 yards out but a Pinhoe player would not allow it to be taken quickly. The referee promptly brought the kick forwards 10 yards. Matty Adams rolled it to Simon Pearson, who drove a powerful shot into the bottom corner.
The visitors almost doubled their lead soon after. A neat passing move saw the ball worked to Paul Harris. His first-time shot was hit crisply enough but the Pinhoe keeper pulled off a smart block.
The second half saw Pinhoe push players forward in search of an equaliser, but this left gaps which Hatherleigh exploited.
A good ball forward by Adams put Sam Woolacott clean through and he made no mistake with a neat lob over the keeper.
Adams almost added a third when he jinked past two defenders and unleashed a ferocious shot which was destined for the top corner. The Pinhoe goalkeeper got his fingertips to it and the ball went out for a corner.
Hatherleigh gifted Pinhoe a lifeline with five minutes to go, when they failed to clear their lines following a corner kick.
This proved to be a mere consolation as the Hatherleigh defence, superbly marshalled by man of the match Pearson, kept Pinhoe at bay.