South Zeal 4
Motel and Offwell 2
SOUTH Zeal went into this Football Express Cup quarter-final with a great record against their opponents, having won the previous five encounters.
Zeal took the lead within ten minutes when Garry Smith shot from the edge of the penalty area. Motel's keeper could only parry the shot and Smith followed up to give Zeal an early advantage.
Motel were dangerous from set-pieces and equalised five minutes later when a long throw-in was nodded on and fell nicely for one of their strikers to finish coolly.
Zeal went through a rough patch after the equaliser but took the lead on the half-hour after a great corner from Steve Pillivant was headed past the keeper by Roger White.
W ith only several minutes left of the first half a Motel forward hit a cross-cum shot from the right edge of the Zeal penalty area — the ball evaded everyone and rolled into the far corner leaving Dave Wooldridge in the Zeal goal stranded.
If Motel thought they were going to break the Zeal jinx they were wrong. Zeal went on to dominate the second half.
The defence, marshalled by Reg Wonnacott, was in no mood to concede more goals and Garry Smith, Roger White and Harley Cann took a stranglehold on the midfield which was never conceded.
After several near misses Garry Smith again put Zeal in front. Alan Vile crossed well from the left and the flick-on by Dan Pengelly found Smith who made no mistake with a close-range header.
Henry Bellairs and Harley Cann were creating havoc in the Motel defence and the game was made safe when good passing between both found Dan Pengelly just outside the Motel penalty area. He put Zeal into the semi-final with a great shot into the far corner of the net.
This week away to Okehampton, kick-off 3pm.