OKEHAMPTON Argyle were well up for the fight in their SW Peninsula League season opener but returned home empty-handed.

They were in the midst of a battle against Newton Abbot Spurs and the South Devon side had their number once again, winning 2-0 thanks to second half strikes from Coby White and Brad Crocombe.

Manager Richard Washburn cut an optimistic figure after the final whistle, having clearly seen plenty of positives in the performance on Friday, August 1.

His assessment of the game was also an honest one, commenting: “We had three or four key players missing in midfield and it showed, I think that’s where the game was won and we didn’t have that physical element to match them.”

It truly was a physical encounter and the referee let a lot go, after all, there could have been two or three red cards at least on another day. Those of an Argyle persuasion will feel that the bulk of the decisions didn’t go their way and perhaps rightly so.

Young Spurs striker Toby Hard went flying into a challenge very dangerously with no more than 15 minutes on the clock and Brad Crocombe was also lucky to escape a red card in all honesty. Salt was rubbed further into the Argyle wounds with the latter scoring the second and sealing the win for Spurs.

Meanwhile, Oke captain Josh Robins found himself in hot water after an incident between him and White. The visiting fullback ended up standing on his head and whilst it seemed purely accidental, the majority of The Rec’s crowd were calling for him to receive a more extreme punishment than the yellow shown his way.

There were very few clear goalscoring opportunities to report on from an Argyle perspective owing to the resolute, defensive display put in by Connor Marshall’s men.

Marshall spoke of being “over the moon” to get a win in his first competitive game in charge of Spurs, having succeeded the hugely popular Revell brothers Marc and Simon.

On the other hand, Washburn found it “hard to hide [his] disappointment.”

He continued, “Newton Abbot deservedly won the game. Both teams were evenly matched in the first half and then in the second, we just didn’t really come out, they dominated us physically again.

“The first goal, we switched off for and then I thought we would react and we didn’t really and then the second goal, a mix up between the three centre halves. Then we came alive afterwards but it was too late in the game I felt.”

As previously mentioned, Washburn’s side were without a few key figures, one of those being goalkeeper Jack Arthur.

In his place, “A special mention to Markos [Efstathiadis], he’s only 16, he’s been called up from the under 18s to represent us for the next couple of games and he made some incredible saves tonight to keep us in the game at 0-0 and 1-0 and even at 2-0. His kicking was insane.”

Washburn’s confidence remains intact though and he made a bold promise: “When we talk after the next fixture against them, it’ll be three points for us instead I can guarantee you that.

“Things are looking really good for Okehampton, we just need a bit more time and for things to gel and we will be a threat.”

Next up for Argyle is a trip to Torridgeside AFC on Wednesday 6 before they then welcome Ilminster Town to Simmons Park for a first home outing of 2025/26, taking place at 3pm on Saturday 9.