OKEHAMPTON Argyle had a weekend to forget as they were truly put to the sword away at Cullompton Rangers.

On Saturday, February 21, Argyle visited Cully at Adopstar Park and were on the receiving end of a 9-0 thrashing.

Lloyd White scored four, Cameron Webb added a brace and there were also singles from Freddie Ansley, Josh Coles and Finn Newell, the former Argyle man Coles rubbing further salt in the wounds with his goal.

All three of the other SW Peninsula League Premier East games that went ahead on the day were decided by a single goal.

Torrington AFC won 1-0 at Crediton United and Ilminster Town sent Honiton Town home empty-handed, prevailing by two goals to one at The Archie Gooch Pavilion.

Meanwhile, everyone in attendance at the Western Counties Roofing Ground was treated to an absolute barnstormer of a game as Bovey Tracey AFC’s unbeaten league record was breached in a top-of-the-table clash.

The Moorlanders fought right until the very end but what assistant manager Rob Farkins labelled as “abysmal defending” cost them in a 7-6 thriller against fellow high-flyers Bridport FC.

Farkins was the main man in the dugout with Ben Gerring still serving a suspension and as a former defender himself, “It was difficult to watch at times.”

Bridport went flying out of the blocks to grab a two-goal lead within the first five minutes, Harley Brook and Sol Ayunga doing the early damage.

Bovey were then able to settle down somewhat and hit back with a goal of their own, Harvey Coggins heading home a pinpoint Cieran Bridger corner to halve the deficit.

A last-ditch block by Coggins denied the visitors their third but it did eventually arrive, closely followed by the fourth with Fred Parsons notching both.

In between Parsons’ two goals, Bovey made an early sub that saw club captain Cliff Walters replace David Rowe, prompting a shift back to a more familiar four-at-the-back system.

Sloppy or not, the Moorlanders were given a reprieve by Ollie Aplin who was on hand to jump on the error made in Bridport’s six-yard area.

Another Bridger corner was converted this time by Owen Stockon for the seventh and final goal of an unforgettable first half.

In a case of déjà vu, Ayunga made it 3-5 for the Dorset-based side in the early knockings of this half and their fever dream was far from over, Riley Weedon heading in the sixth before Parsons completed his hat-trick.

The hosts were then able to turn up the heat and not for the first time, Bridger’s set-piece magic continuing to be the catalyst. Aplin was the first to meet his latest corner and after the initial save, substitute Stuart Bowker chested it home on the goal line.

Bowker was the man of the moment now for better or for worse; committing a few fouls out of desperation, talking his way into the referee’s book but also scoring Bovey’s fifth and sixth goals, setting up a grandstand finish.

They kept pushing up and there were half-chances for striker Ollie Aplin and his brother, goalkeeper Dom Aplin who came up for a late corner, but an equaliser eluded Bovey.

Farkins admitted that Bridport “were fully deserving of the three points” whilst also saying: “I don’t think either team defended particularly well at all, both teams were very poor in transition which is something we’re normally very good at.”

He continued, “We were absolutely awful at the back and that’s what has cost us today.”