Devon Premier Cup
Okehampton Argyle 1
Shamwickshire Rovers 3
FOR the third year running, Argyle fell at the first hurdle in the County Cup to a team from a lower league. However, Shamwickshire from the North Devon premier are no mean side and had beaten the Premier Cup holders in a league match the previous Saturday.
The match was to prove to the home side that no matter how well you play, you cannot afford to give away two cheap goals in the first ten minutes of a game.
Shamwickshire exerted the early pressure and after seven minutes the Argyle back line was caught far too far forward allowing Lee Evans to race through and give the visitors the lead. Two minutes later the dose was repeated and this time Andy Allan was left completely free to run on and double Shamwickshire's lead. This seemed to wake Argyle up and they began to take control of the game with some outstanding midfield play from Chris Hollands and Jonjo Fellows.
Okehampton began to make a series of good chances, but good defending and goalkeeping by the visitors kept the home side out until the stroke of half-time, when a lovely in-swinging corner from Fellows glanced off a defender's head and into the net to put Argyle back into the game.
The second half was all Okehampton as they virtually pinned the visitors into their own half. Terrific build up play saw shots fizz just wide or the Shammy keeper Matt Colwill make yet another save.
The nearest Argyle were to come however was when a shot from George Pitts crashed back into play off the crossbar. Several other really good chances were missed by the Okehampton forwards, and it was Shamwickshire who were to have the last say, when three minutes from time they broke out quickly to apply the sucker punch with a brilliant glancing header from James Bateman.
As the visitors manager said sportingly after the match 'the best team' doesn't always win", but all credit to Shamwickshire who defended resolutely throughout much of the match and took their chances when they came – a lesson Argyle need to learn.