Carlsberg South West Peninsula division one east

Sidmouth Town 4

Okehampton Argyle 3

LEADING 3-2 with eight minutes to play, one would expect most teams to have the wherewithal to hang on for a hard earned three points.

Unfortunately on this occasion, Argyle were not one of those teams, as two goals and two red cards in the closing minutes saw them turn a much needed win into an embarrassing defeat.

For the second game running, Argyle started poorly and but for a smart save from goalkeeper Harry Geering and some wayward finishing, Sidmouth could have been two up inside the opening five minutes.

A minute later and with Argyle at sixes and sevens, Sidmouth's Mark Pavey was given too much room on the edge of the penalty area as he fired the home side in front. They were unlucky not to double their lead ten minutes later when Pavey's header from an Ashley Small free kick was ruled out for offside.

Argyle manager Kevin Taylor made a change in formation with Tallan Burns switching to the right flank and it brought an immediate reward when Burns played in Ross Voaden who slotted the ball home on the half hour.

Argyle's joy at getting the equaliser was short lived as two minutes later, after Harry Geering had half cleared a Sidmouth corner, the ball was played back in to an unmarked Ricky Pitter, who headed in at the near post. Right on the stroke of half time Argyle's Tom Reilly saw his header, from a Tallan Burns corner, deflected narrowly wide and from Burn's next corner Jason Cordice scrambled the ball home to send the teams in level at the break.

With the playing surface cutting up badly, the second half became an end to end affair, littered with rash challenges from both sides until the 70th minute when Dale Chadwick fired in a terrific free kick from all of 25 yards to put Argyle in front for the first time in the game.

Ross Voaden went close to increasing their lead five minutes later, forcing Sidmouth's Declan Lines into a smart save low to his left.

As the half wore on, Argyle's defending became all the more desperate in an attempt to hold on to their lead and there was a raft of yellow cards shown to both sides as tempers were becoming frayed.

Sidmouth deservedly drew level in the 83rd minute when Argyle lost possession and Jordan Cooper set up Ashley Small for a close range finish.

Two minutes later and Sidmouth were in front when Dale Chadwick lost possession in midfield and Sidmouth broke in numbers. Harry Geering saved Mark Pavey's initial effort, but from the resulting corner Mike Pidgeon was given too much room inside the Argyle six yard box and his glancing header looped agonisingly over Harry Geering and into the net.

Argyle's frustration at falling behind from a winning position was compounded in stoppage time when Dale Chadwick and then Ross Voaden were both sent off after receiving their second yellow cards for rash challenges to leave Argyle with nine men to play out the final minute before skulking off to the dressing room with their tails between their legs.

It was not a 'good day at the office' for Argyle whose manager, Kevin Taylor, was left to reflect that his side's apparent lack of urgency and commitment at the start was the catalyst for the poor performance overall.

'We can't continue to start poorly and give our opponents a goal lead before we start to play ourselves,' said Taylor. 'Having said that, we did well, on a heavy pitch, to get ourselves in front, but didn't have the wherewithal to see it out and the red cards in the closing stages were an embarrassment.'