St Luke’s Devon bowl

Tavistock AFC 1

Exeter City 1

(Tavistock win 5-4 on penalties).

TAVISTOCK AFC made a number of changes to their starting line up for this St Luke’s Bowl Devon County Cup competition.

With Josh Oak unavailable reserve  team goalkeeper Cane Gregory made his first team debut along with Connor Spear. Another reserve team player, Sam Clifton, was on the bench. Tyler Elliot returned from injury to make the starting line up. Josh Robins was unavailable through suspension.

The game was played in torrential rain, this with gale force winds made playing conditions difficult. It was the Lambs that played against the elements in the first half.

The match started at pace with both playing some good football in terrible conditions, and play was even in the opening 15 minutes. It was the home team that produced the real threat on goal when Jack Crago and Josh Grant combined well; Grant flashed a cross  into the six yard box which was cleared for a corner kick by Hartsall-Henvil the City centre back. Playing with the wind the visitors found it difficult to penetrate the home defence as many of their passes ended up being too long for their forwards.

Tavistock were now on top, in the 25th minute a really good move saw Tegan Rosenquest’s great effort flash inches wide of the target.

Three minutes later Jack Crago had a goal bound shot blocked by a City defender, following good work by Tyler Elliot.

The first real threat on the home goal came on the half hour when a fine move saw the ball find Seymour, his shot was blocked, the ball fell to team mate Gardener but he skied his shot over the bar. Minutes later Dan Evans was forced to go off with a slight groin strain and Warren Daw took his place.

City goal keeper Williams then made a terrific save turning away a powerful shot from Tegan Rosenquest for a corner kick. Just before the interval Sparks shot well over from 25 yards so the half remained goalless.

The Lambs started the second half well and began to get control of the game, creating several shooting opportunities on goal, but Williams was in fine form, denying both Jack Crago and Josh Grant from breaking the deadlock.

In the 66th minute the Lambs were reduced to ten men when young Tyler Elliot  was sent off for a second yellow card offence.

Shortly afterwards the Lambs opened the scoring with a long range shot from Ben Cross. The flight of the ball in the windy conditions deceived Williams as the ball sailed over his head and nestled in to the top corner of the net.

With the extra man Exeter took control pushing more men forward in search of an equaliser. Cane Gregory in the home goal then made a really good save to deny Jay from levelling the scores.

Just as it looked as if the Lambs were going to see the game out, Exeter equalised in the 89th minute when from a corner kick, the Lambs failed to clear their lines, the ball fell kindly for Collins who made no mistake from 12 yards.

The visitors pressed for a winner in time added on but the Lambs’ ten men saw the game go to penalties to decide who would go through to the quarter-finals.

It was the Lambs that won the nervous penalty shoot out by five goals to four, thanks to two great saves from young keeper Cane Gregory.

This was a closely contested game that could have gone either way. Played in atrocious conditions both teams are to be credited for providing a good entertaining game, with a lot of skill, for the spectators who braved the elements to watch the game.

The man of the match was Cane Gregory for his overall display, and two crucial saves in the penalty shootout.