Devon Senior Cup
Brixham Town 0
THIS Devon Senior Cup victory wasn’t as plain sailing as the final scoreline suggests, with the hosts taking almost 25 minutes before finally opening the scoring.
Early exchanges were fairly even. The Bees posed the greater threat in the final third and only a superb double save by the visiting ’keeper thwarted Lee Morgan. From the resulting corner, the same player lost his marker but headed narrowly over.
The breakthrough came on 24 minutes when Tim Bromfield met a long throw by Gus Hayward to send a looping header over the ’keeper and into the far corner.
Almost immediately Danny Tucker crashed a half volley against the bar from 25 yards.
On 28 minutes a free kick routine between Tucker and Morgan saw the latter double the lead, finishing at the second attempt.
Two quickly became three as a huge box-to-box kick by ’keeper Toby Harvey saw his visiting opposite number fumble the ball under pressure from Morgan, with Hayward rifling home the loose ball. Brixham’s ’keeper made amends with a flying save to deny a shot from distance by Morgan finding the top corner.
A dubious penalty gave Brixham the chance to pull a goal back, but Harvey was untroubled as the kick cleared his bar by some distance.
With virtually the last move of the first half a Brixham attack was intercepted and with their defence holding a high line Bromfield dropped a long ball over the top for Morgan to race through and drill in left-footed across the ’keeper and into the bottom corner.
In the second half, with the wind now at their backs, Brixham came out and gave it a real go, but in doing so left themselves open at the back. Time and again they were indebted to their ’keeper, who denied Tucker, Hayward and twice 16-year-old Elliot Bellamy.
James Hurt replaced skipper Alex Browne, who was feeling a tightness in his hamstrings, while Jed Tucker came on for Bellamy. The latter’s injection of pace gave the Bees an extra dimension and two goals quickly followed in as many minutes.
Morgan’s slide-rule pass to Hayward was dispatched hard and low with confidence before J Tucker replicated the move, allowing Morgan to complete
his hat-trick with 71 minutes played.
Bromfield made way for new signing Kurt Thiele to make his Beesands debut. More saves by the Brixham ’keeper kept a rampant Bees at bay until three goals in the final five minutes were a little harsh on the young man.
Morgan rose at the near post to head home a Hayward corner for his fourth of the game, and when the ’keeper again denied Hayward, J Tucker kept his cool to slot the ball home in spite of the covering defenders on the line.
In the final minute the Bees won a penalty after an upending in the box; the usual penalty taker Morgan allowed man of the match Hayward to complete his first senior hat-trick with what turned out to be the last kick of the game.
Although the goal scorers take the plaudits, mention must go to TJ Lang, Jason Wilkes and Luke Broad, plus 16-year-old Will Garner, who had a great, much-awaited debut at left back.
On Saturday Bee-sands are away to Ashburton, where they will be hoping to avenge the 2-1 defeat from a fortnight ago.