football

Woodbury 6, Exmouth Town Reserves 4

Despite the heavy rain that struck 24-hours before this Fresha league Division Five game, the match went ahead thanks to the superb surface at Endurance Park.

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Woodbury began brightly with debut playing Richie Ralph quickly stamping his authority on the middle third of the pitch.

Despite the ambition of the hosts start it was Exmouth Town who scored first with a fleet-footed raid and a competent finish in the 18th minute.

Two minutes later the Woods were reduced to 10-men when Craig Leaman reacted to a challenge and saw red! In the 25th minute Town doubled their lead with another clinical raid, the ball entering the net off the unfortunate Ryan Smith.

On the half hour the home side halved the deficit when Kev Pitt headed the ball down into the patch of the advancing Ralph who powered his shot beyond the visiting keeper. In the final minute of the half Alex Hughes played a delightful through ball that Pitt seized upon and raced through only to be hauled down by the glovesman. Pitt picked himself up and slotted the spot kick to send the sides into the break at 2-2.

Woodbury boss Adam Reid made a couple of injury-enforced changes at the break, with Alfie Cleave and Liam Cook taking over from Ryan Smith and his cousin Steve Hunt.

Ten minutes into the second half play the match official insisted Cleave leave the pitch to remove a pair of fabric wrist bands. Whilst Cleave was off the pitch trying to remove the writs bands 9-man Woodbury fell 3-2 behind. Unable to get the writs bands off, Cleave was then substituted with Declan Bourne taking over!

Woodbury began to take a foothold in the game with Ralph and Hughes linking up very well in midfield and new man Bourne making some impressive runs down the flank. A corner was cleared by the Town defence, but only to Richard Hill on the edge of the area and he first controlled the ball before rifling it into the top corner of the net to level things at 3-3.

On 72 minutes Woodbury took the lead for the first time in the contest when Pitt got away on the right and crossed to Bourne who’s initial shot fell invitingly to Hill who thumped it home.

Five minutes later Bourne doubled the Woods advantage with a clinical finish after neat build-up play involving Hughes, Ralph and Hill.

Exmouth Town bagged a fourth to make it nine goals in the game before the home win was sealed in the closing stages when Ralph, Hughes and Pitt combined prior to Hill powering the ball home from 15-yards to complete his hat-trick.

Woodbury boss Adam Reid said: “That performance was very pleasing. I am delighted with what I saw as a never-say-die attitude from all my players. Despite the fact that we had two new players involved and I changed the system I am really pleased with what was produced. The Man of the Match award could have gone to a number of different players, but for me Richard (Hughes) was the star amongst stars. I also saw a superb shift from Alex (Hughes), a superb debut from Richie (Ralph) and encouraging displays too from Declan (Bourne) and our other recent signing Russell Pengelly. Given that this was our first game for five long weeks it was all very encouraging.”

Woodbury team: W Rowsell, Smith (Cook 45), Perry, Bennett, Pengelly, Hunt (Cleave 45) (Bourne 60), Leaman, Ralph, Hill, Hughes, Pitt. Sub not used Paul Rowsell.