Throgmorton Cup Round One
Okehampton Argyle 1
Foxhole Stars 3
TWO late goals gave Cornish side Foxhole victory in an entertaining league cup tie at Simmons Park last Saturday.
The first half was a good advert for cup football and the game swung swiftly from end to end as both sides committed themselves to attack. The best early chance fell to Foxhole, but Saul Scarry made a fine save. Argyle surged back and it was the turn of visiting keeper Ryan Holland to make two fine saves from Adam Mortimer. The deadlock was broken on 35 minutes when Foxhole did well to square back a ball from deep on the right and Scott Ansell volleyed home the cross from ten yards.
Okehampton came out for the second half in a determined mood and deservedly drew level after eight minutes. Adam Mortimer outpaced the visitor's defence and coolly lobbed the ball over Holland to score a fine goal.
Mortimer went close on several occasions but the ball just would not go into the visitor's net. Darren Prouse battled for the ball with a defender, won it and smashed it home from the edge of the box, but the officials had spotted a push in the initial tussle for the ball and awarded a free kick to the visitors. Prouse and Mortimer continued to cause problems for the visitors but that elusive goal just would not come. Then, three minutes from the end, Okehampton paid the penalty for missed chances when a deep right wing cross was superbly headed home by Foxhole's Mark Grose. Right on time, the score was made to look more flattering to the visitors when Grose did well to curl home a free kick round the Argyle defensive wall.
This was an entertaining match for the spectators and from the start, it was clear that the two sides were closely matched. Matt Sanders and Kev Gill did well in the Okehampton defence and Chris Wills took the eye in midfield for his tireless work rate. Up front, Prouse and Mortimer created chances all afternoon, but on the day, Foxhole weathered Argyle's second half onslaught and came back well to progress to the second round. Good luck to them in the competition.
l Next Saturday: South West Peninsula League, Firsts v Budleigh Salterton away 3pm; Devon & Exeter Div 4, Seconds v Seaton Town Seconds home 3pm; Devon & Exeter Div 7, Thirds v Dawlish Town Thirds away 3pm.