| Match Report |
Okehampton A entertained flying high OPM A looking for a much needed win and three points to improve their chances of staying out ot the relegation zone. The home team started strongly against the ten men of OPM and soon had control of the game moving the ball quickly through the centre and getting the wide players, Lawson and Jarvis, into attacking positions. This possession and pressure soon told as one of these quick moves found the experienced Luxton who, despite a fine first save, cooly lifted the ball into the back of the net. Oke continued to stretch the visitor's ten men and it wasn't long before the home team once again scored through Luxton when he slid the ball under the advancing keeper. Oke continued to pas and move with patience and composure so that the back three of Morgan, Morgan and Hutchins had little to worry about. The central midfield of Man of the Match Rowlands, Paterson and Toby Lloyd were now dominating with little OPM threat as the opposition were quickly closed down. The first half finished when the home side conceded a soft goal following a fine salmon like save from birthday boy Vallance. So, despite the home side's dominance they went in at half-time only one goal up. The visitors were, by now, back to full strength but this didn't affect the balance of play as Oke continued to surge forward through Lloyd J and the intellegent use of the substitutes, Yelland and Cunningham, maintained the impetus. Oke stretched the lead to 3-1 when the rejeuvenated Luxton found the backboard, somewhat surprisingly, again with a speculative push at goal. This seemed to boost the visitors who now started to display the sort of form that made them early season contenders for the league. A couple of quick moves and some sloppy Oke defending resulted in OPM pulling the score back to 3-2 when the visiting striker beat the diving Vallance. At 3-2 Oke were in danger of squandering their early dominance but a quick passing move through the Lloyds and Rowlands found Lawson out wide on the left, who cut in, beating 3 or 4 OPM defenders and then squaring to Luxton who scored his 4th of the match. A saved penalty flick following an OPM foot on the line and another breakaway goal from the visitors were not enough to change the result as Oke A ran out deserved winners in this very competitive battle.
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