1st Team Vs Okehampton 1

North Devon first team bounced back from a disappointing defeat last week with a well deserved win against top of the table Okehampton. With a full squad on game day, North Devon were dealt an early blow, with top scorer Pete Smale pulling up injured in the warm up. The bench was called into action again early on with Sam Kirkness suffering a pulled hamstring too. Rather than surrender, North Devon solidified and had the majority of possession and penetration in the first half. They were unlucky not too go into half time with the lead, with Ash Thorne and Joe Taylor-Richardson going close. 

In the second half North Devon continued their dominance, with plenty of attacking, and a solid defensive performance leaving the Okehampton strike force with very few opportunities. Midway through the second half North Devon managed to break through from a short corner. Guy Cockcroft, returning to the team just 3 month after suffering a double ankle fracture, unleashed a thunderbolt from the top of the D, leaving the goalkeeper with no chance. 

Further chances were created by North Devon, with little coming the other way. Thorne was particularly unlucky to have a goal disallowed.

Calmly running down the clock with some excellent passing from the back four, the game looked all but over. That was until, with 10 seconds left on the clock, an uncharacteristic mistake from Per Hampton allowed Okehampton one more shot at snatching a point; last gasp defending, expert goalkeeping from Sam Wormington and the 2 inch metal goalpost saving Hampton’s blushes and securing the 3 points for North Devon. 

With a solid performance in the engine room from Joe Hastie, and a man of the match masterclass from Ben Andrew, North Devon will be looking to push themselves the top of the league by Christmas, with matches against 2nd placed East Devon next week, and bottom of the league Dart before the Christmas break.