By Dick Sturch

St Martins 2nd X1 4, Millwey Rise 1st X1 0

Playing with a stiff breeze that was blowing from end to end, Millwey Rise cbegan a first half that was pretty evenly matched. Play swung from end to end with Rise keeper Flynn Smith being called into early action.

At the other end Luke Thurlow had a shot turned around the post for a corner which came to nothing. Smith was again called into action and produced a fine block in a one-on-one with a Martin's forward. It was then Leigh Beer's turn to prevent a certain goal with a great interception as an opposing forward broke free with the goal at his mercy.

St Martin were relying on the long ball over the top of the Millweydefence and in one of their attacks were awarded a free-kick which eventually found its way via several heads into the net to take the lead.

Thurlow made a mesmerising run down the left for Millwey but although his resulting cross found Dave Bridge's head he could only guide it into the keeper's arms. Another Rise move saw a Cam Board force the Martin's keeper to turn his firmly struck shot round the post for a corner. The home side increased their lead in the 40th minute after a scramble in the Mildewy goal area. They quickly followed this up with a free-kick which was deflected for another corner by a defender. Millwey's best chance came in the final minutes of the half when Thurlow's shot skimmed over the bar.

In the second period the physicality of St Martin's strengthened team playing with the wind at their backs kept Rise penned in. After 15 minutes Jack Bennett and Ben Roslyn replaced Thurlow and an the injured Bridges. It then took a series of last-ditch tackles by Rise defenders to foil any further goals until the 25th minute when a free-kick found the head of an unmarked forward for the third goal. Sam Dibling's last action was a run on the Martin's goal but his resultant shot was wide of the post. He gave way to Ben Osborne another of Millwey's youngsters, for the final 15 minutes. With time running out, a long through ball provided the home side's opportunity of a fourth goal.

Although Rise started confidently, as the game progressed, especially into the second half, too many times they came off second best to their more determined opponents. Cam Board and Ty Allan never gave up in their efforts to get the ball forward but Millwey's man-of-the-match must surely go to central defender Leigh Beer who was a rock on which numerous St Martin attacks broke down.

This coming Saturday third place Mildewy 1sts travel to Thorverton 2nds, who are I'm tenth position in Devon and Exeter Division Five.