Exmouth Town Under-12s were beaten 8-1 in their Exeter & District Youth League derby meeting with hosts Lympstone.

It was a 'new-look' Town side that went into the contest, missing three regulars and giving debuts to two players in what was also a new formation for the team.

Lympstone made the brighter start and took a fifth minute lead. Town, with Jake Sherratt, one of the players making their debut, leading the line on his own and causing problems for the Lympets back line, were soon back in the contesr.

Wingers Jack Colvin and Callum Wood were influential down either flank.

In a passage of end-to-end action, Lympstone continued to threaten, but the Town defensive duo of Badger and Southwood in front of the excellent Charlie McFarlane, who made a brace of outstanding double saves, were equal to the best of the opposition's attacking intent.

However, the pressure continued, and the lead was doubled before, seconds before the break, with Badger grounded with an injury, the match official waved 'play on' and Lympstone scored a third to hold a significant interval lead.

At the start of the second half, with Badger unable to continue, Matthew Hill took over in the back line, but the Lympstone pressure continued and they added two further goals to lead 5-0.and midfield pairing Bernjo Brown and Otto Salih rolled their sleeves up and started to thread passes in to the gaps for Ewen Schaechter and Jake Sherratt to run on to.

Schaechter had a header from a corner blocked by a defender and Callum Wood was unlucky with a one-on-one.

Lympstone added two more to end the game as a contest. Town never gave up tough and, with Badger bravely returning to the action and McFarlane making two more brilliant saves, Town got the goal their efforts deserved when Hill got his debut goal with a delicate chip from the edge of the area. An impressive Lympstone added one more to complete the scoring.

Goal scoring debutant Matthew Hill was named the Town Man of the Match, but there was also high praise post-match for the performance of Charlie 'The Cat' McFarlane and his heroics in the Town goal.