East Devon Cup

second round

East Budleigh 0

Okehampton Argyle 6

THIS tie had all the makings of an upset as Budleigh, who are undefeated in Senior 3 this season, wanted to be giant killers.

Argyle started where they left off last week and pinned Budleigh inside their own penalty area forcing corner after corner. From one of these Agnew rose highest and eased the ball towards the goal. Whatley stole in front of the keeper to nod the ball home from two yards.

Whatley and Yip on the flanks provided good width and ammunition for Gill and Maddax up front. Gill and Maddax combined well on the right and set up Yip, whose excellent cross was met on the full by Whatley to put Argyle two up inside the first 20 minutes.

Okehampton were cruising, playing good pass-and-move football, stretching Budleigh all over the pitch.

During the second period of the first half, Budleigh changed tactics and Maddax, while clean through on goal, was maliciously brought down from behind. Yip was hacked down when he tried to pass his marker.

At the back Kevin Gill gave another outstanding performance, closely followed by Soby, who probably played his best game of the season so far, giving Bailey excellent cover as Budleigh never got a shot in at goal during the first period.

After the break Argyle picked up the pace, with Carey and Gibbs in midfield charging forward at every opportunity, the latter being fouled from behind.

From the resulting free-kick Soby blasted the kick. The keeper could only parry it into the path of Maddax, who slotted home from close range.

King came on for the injured Carey and within five minutes he scored Argyle's fourth, with another two yard tap-in.

Maddax and Yip both went off to be replaced with Mortimer and N Vernon and both soon found the tempo of the game, with Mortimer going close on two occasions, but just failing to beat the home keeper.

But he did not have to wait long to get on the scoresheet — following an inch-perfect ball from Gibbs he rounded the keeper to score from a narrow angle.

Budleigh only managed one corner throughout the game, such was Argyle's dominance territorially.

One sad moment of the game came with only five minutes remaining when Ian Gill turned his marker only to be brought down from behind with the referee taking no action. The ball fell to Mortimer who thumped it into the top corner.

The outcome to Gill was another injury to his right knee which had kept him out of the side for the start of the season, and looks like it will keep him on the sidelines for many weeks to come.

This week Argyle are away to local rivals Hatherleigh in a league match, with Argyle hoping to gain revenge for a 1-0 defeat earlier in the season.