East Budleigh Reserves let slip an early two-goal lead before going down 5-2 at home to Central Reserves in a Macron League Division Eight meeting, writes Mark Auton.

Budleigh made a flying start and Rory Waite crossed for Jack Howarth to open the scoring, and, within minutes, it was 2-0 as Howarth helped himself to a second.

Tom Christian then centred for Howarth, who just failed to apply the touch that would have made it three.

Unfortunately, that’s as good as it got as the away side managed to turn a two-goal deficit into a 5-2 lead before the break as Budleigh made an average side look good with some poor defending.

Jack Morgan had a goal disallowed for a slight push as a shell-shocked Budleigh went into the break.

Budleigh steadied the ship in the second period, but the damage had already been done.

This Saturday (April 7), Budleigh visit Cheriton Fitzpaine looking to bounce straight back.