Pirates Last Hope for South Devon as Windmill Grind Down Stoke
South Devon Football League Premier side East Allington United will fly the flag for South Devon in the semi-finals of the Throgmorton Devon Premier Cup as they dispatched Newtown away while Peninsula East high-flyers Stoke Gabriel crashed to a shock loss at Plymouth and West outfit The Windmill FC.
Pirates manager Andy Weeks detailed how the game unfolded:
“They (Newtown) were quite a large, physical side and from every set-piece they looked threatening,” explained Weeks. “From one of those they took the lead after eight minutes. After that, we passed the ball around pretty well in midfield but didn’t really threaten them very much. Then, just before half-time, our goalkeeper Richard Teague made two really good saves to keep it at 1-0.
“We were confident that if we upped our game we could get through because, in our opinion, they weren’t as good as some of the teams we’ve played in the South Devon League. Early in the second half, we got a free-kick about 20 yards out. Tom Rowdon took it and the ‘keeper got a hand to it but couldn’t keep it out. That was his eleventh of the season which is quite good for a midfielder.
“Two minutes after that we got another free-kick about 25-yards out. Andy Davis, who was excellent on the day, curled an absolute beauty into the top corner and the ‘keeper had no chance. Their heads dropped a bit and for the next half an hour the game was pretty even with both teams getting chances. Then, with ten minutes to go, our sub Lee Morgan, with about his first touch, followed up a Simon Hannaford shot, which had been saved, to tap it into the net for 3-1.”
Also on the end of a surprise 3-1 reverse were Stoke Gabriel. In cold and wet conditions at the pub side’s Millbay Park, the Railwaymen took the lead through defender Lewis Woodmore. But the hosts soon turned the game on its head before securing their passage into the last four within the last ten minutes.
East Allington United will now face The Windmill FC at The Rec, Newton Abbot Spurs with the prize a Coach Road final against either Crediton United or the University of Exeter, both from the Peninsula Division One East.
