Carlsberg South West Peninsula division one East

Okehampton Argyle 2

Axminster Town 0

ARGYLE put in a below par performance against bottom of the table Axminster and there was little good football on view at Simmons Park on Saturday.

Credit must go to the visitors for putting up a battling performance and almost causing an upset. Argyle will need to raise their game against Crediton tomorrow in the Good Friday local derby although the return of regulars Luke Alden and Alex Wren should provide a boost.

The first half was a scrappy affair with passes going astray from both sides and there were a lot of aimless long balls.

Axminster looked more dangerous in front of goal in the first 30 minutes and Argyle had Harry Geeering to thank for keeping them level with two fine saves from close range.

However Argyle began to look more dangerous in the last quarter of an hour before the break and took the lead on the stroke of half time when the visitors defence failed to deal with a cross from the right and the ball broke loose to Will Hawking on the edge of the box. The centre-forward crashed home a great shot to give Okehampton a slender lead which they just about deserved.

After the restart, Argyle began to look more like their usual selves and for 15 minutes put together some good moves, but gradually Axminster clawed themselves back into the game.

Okehampton brought on substitutes Toby Gostling, Matt Sanders and Brad Ausden to give some fresh legs and began to take the game to the visitors again.

With ten minutes remaining, Dale Chadwick's right wing cross picked out the unmarked Dave Youlden who volleyed the ball home from 15 yards to ensure all three points stayed at Okehampton.

This was a performance most of the squad will prefer to forget, but Harry Geering deserves the man of the match for Argyle and Steve Madge and Phil Adams were the pick of the outfield players.