In front of a Furzebrake crowd of 80, Beer Albion and Exeter-based opponents, Whipton and Pinhoe, served up a feast of attacking football resulting in a convincing 4-1 margin for the hosts in a Joma Premier Division East contest, writes Richard Honnor.

The Fishermen made the perfect start when, with only four minutes gone, Giles Basson was brought down in the area and he got up to slot the resultant penalty.

The visitors hit back with some fluent football, but their finishing was off target and Beer glovesman Elliot Driver was rarely troubled. Their best effort came on 20 minutes when midfielder Aaron Hazleden shot narrowly wide from 20 yards.

By pushing on in numbers, the visitors were leaving themselves open at the back to the pace and directness of the Fishermen’s forward play and it was no surprise when the Fishermen went 2-0 ahead on 27 minutes. Alex Paget, who won almost every aerial challenge in midfield, headed a poor clearance from the visitors’ keeper into the path of Jacob Hale and his clever diagonal run took him clear of the last defender before he executed a cool finish from 12 yards.

The lead was halved by an unstoppable free-kick from 20 yards after Beer committed a foul just outside the penalty box.

Chris Long was denied by a superb save five minutes before the break, but minutes later Long’s 30-yard strike arrowed into the corner of the net to send the Fishermen into the break with a 3-1 advantage.

There was similar action after the break with the visitors throwing men forward, leaving big gaps in midfield for Beer to exploit.

A marginal off-side decision denied them a second goal before, on the hour mark, Beer got a fourth.

It was created and scored by Beer forward Giles Basson who took a header from Long and then found time and space to thread the ball home through a ruck of defenders.

Basson was denied a hat-trick on 87 minutes when he rattled the post from 15 yards but the Fishermen cruised home top notch up an impressive 4-1 victory.

Sponsor Harvey Green singled out midfielder Aaron Hazleden as Whipton and Pinhoe’s best player, but nominated two-goal Giles Basson as the Man of the Match.

Beer co-manager Mark Rooke was once again thrilled with his team’s all-round performance.

However, he also warned against complacency saying: “The next three game are huge for us - away at Seaton, followed by a trip to Feniton and then at home to Seaton.

“The players must continue to show the same intensity and attitude they have shown in this game.”