Ottery Crickets Seconds 3

Okehampton 5

OKEHAMPTON travelled to Ottery St Mary to faced a newly merged Sidmouth and Ottery team who will play a league above the visitors in the coming season.

The game started evenly with both teams having spells of possession, but the away side soon took the upper hand and started to create some chances. They took a deserved lead when Tom Forrester played a lovely through ball to Mark Parsons and he slotted the ball into the bottom corner. Okehampton doubled their lead not long after when Forrester's drag flick came back off the post, Josh Speak's flick was parried by the hosts goalkeeper but Parsons was on hand to double their advantage. Parsons made it three not long after when he was found by Luke Miller and he slotted the ball into the bottom corner.

The visitors looked full of confidence and dangerous going forward, the home side managed to hit them on the counter and win a short corner.

A well worked move saw the hosts pull a goal back but Okehampton came straight back attacking, and won a short corner after good work from Andy Paterson and Rob Hall, Parsons and Miller combined, for Miller to get a touch and divert it into the goal for the forth.

The second half was a different game. The home side reshuffled their players, the away side also made some changes, and Ottery took full advantage.

Another short corner was won and despatched with easy and it really rattled the visitors, and but for a goal line clearence from the impressive debutant Jonny Aylen, they would have had a third.

With quarter of an hour to go they did get their third, keeper Harvey harshly awarded a green card and had a penalty flick given against him which the hosts forward duly converted.

Okehmapton reshuffled again with Hall dropping deeper to sit in front the defence which made the away side a lot more stronger.

Man of the match Cooper returned to the field after a quick break and made a massive difference at the back and Ottery looked like they started running out of ideas.

They then had a sideline in their own half which the played straight to Chris Luxton, he had a lot of work to do but drew the keeper and slotted the ball pass the advancing keeper with ease to give Okehampton the win.

This week Okehampton host North Devon Firsts at 1pm in the final friendly.