A HUMBLING 7-1 defeat against Perry Street, one of the Perry Street Division One favourites, was brightened slightly by a lone goal for Lyme Rovers, the first to be conceded by the South Somerset club.

Kicking into a strong head-wind, and expecting a top footballing opponent, the Rovers did their best to batten down the hatches, and with the score kept to 2-0 by 35 minutes, hopes weren't entirely lost.

But within a 10 minute spell before half time, the visitors, reformed this season having dropped out of Devon & Exeter football last season, stormed to an insurmountable 5-0 half-time lead.

The second half started better for Lyme, but the visitors were still wasteful of chances before scoring a sixth.

Manager Rob Larcombe and striker Pete Peacock had half chances before new signing, Jack Handy, playing only his second game, scored from the spot, having been brought down on 80 minutes.

This was the first goal Perry Street had conceded in their first six games. The visitors bagged a seventh late on.

Ali Trueman was Rovers man-of-the match with Noah Gilmore working hard across several positions and Imran Chowdhury battling until the end.

Darius Pickering suffered a serious laceration of the skull which required 12 stitches caused by a stray stud.

This defeat saw the Rovers drop a number of places from their third position in Division One. On Saturday (October 31st) Rovers are away to mid-tables Barrington.