Devon Premier Cup – third round

Okehampton Argyle 0

Newtown 3

THIS third round match should have been a classic with Argyle in the lower reaches of the Peninsula League entertaining unbeaten Devon and Exeter Premier Division leaders Newtown.

However both teams were missing their regular forward lines and the game turned into a gruelling midfield battle on a heavy pitch.

Argyle had six of their first team squad either injured or unavailable and these players were certainly missed although Corey Burns and Brad Ausden, helped to plug the gaps.

The opening period was even with Argyle's midfield of Chadwick, Wills and Squire all working hard to deny possession to the visitors and stringing together some useful passing movements, but there was very little penetration from the Argyle front line.

The defence looked sound with Corey Burns and Ollie Crimmins both having fine games, but on the stroke of half-time, Argyle allowed Simon Piper too much room on the right and his cross was met by Ashley Barker to head home past Craig Mulholland.

Argyle pushed Newtown back for the first 35 minutes of the second half with some good thrusts coming down the right from Corey Burns and Brad Ausden but Argyle were unable to finish their good approach work.

With ten minutes remaining, Ollie Crimmins had to be carried off after a hard tackle and this disrupted the home defence. Just a minute later, Newtown substitute Chris Phillips fired in a speculative shot from the edge of the box and it slipped past Craig Mulholland to give the visitors their second goal. With full time approaching, Newtown sealed the game when Phillips' low cross was swept home by Niall Powell.

No-one could fault the effort of Argyle's rearranged squad but their lack of ideas up front meant that it was difficult to see where a goal would come from and in a well matched midfield encounter, Newtown always looked the more likely to score.