Southern one

Okehampton firsts 7

Penzance 0

OKEHAMPTON men faced a struggling Penzance side on Saturday afternoon.

The game started brightly, the formidable structure of Oke-hampton’s attacking press kept the play in the Penzance half in the early stages. The pressure told, with Sam Whalley providing an incisive pass into the returning Nick Luxton, who neatly dribbled past two defenders and lifted the ball over the keeper and into the goal.

A similar passage of play saw Luxton get his second after some tenacious work down the left by Simon and Reuben Bourne.

Jacob Jones had little to do in goal for Oke but he kept his concentration when called upon to make important saves.

The centre back pairing of Rod Gers and Rob Hall stood tall and were determined not to be thwarted by the nippy Penzance attackers. Jack Watson, playing in his customary position at right wing, used his pace to torment the youthful Penzance left back.

Some clever build up play, orchestrated by the ever present Luke Liversidge finally resulted in Okehampton winning a penalty flick. Whalley kindly handed the reins to Luxton to complete his hat-trick but he failed to seize the opportunity, hitting the post and missing wide.

It was not long after that he grabbed his, and Oke’s, third of the day. With Liversidge and Whalley interlinking well, the latter fired a shot at goal which hit a defender and kindly fell into the path of Luxton who simply had to lift the ball over the hapless keeper.

Liversidge, finding himself in uncharted territory in the opposition’s D, then played a pin point pass to Josh Speak, who expertly flicked the ball high into the top corner. Soon after, Oke had their fifth and Luxton his fourth. Some sloppy play at the back by Penzance was latched upon by Reuben and Whalley who fed Luxton to tap into an empty goal.

Tireless work from Andy Paterson and Caleb Bourne created opportunities for the attackers to remain high up the pitch, stretching the play and making Penzance vulnerable. Whalley’s unselfishness was rewarded as he bagged two goals of his own, one either side of half time. The first a deft flick into the bottom corner and the second a rifling hit.