Ollie Milton’s hat-trick – his first for the club – helped guide Ottery St Mary Under-13s to a 7-2 Exeter and District Youth League Division One win at Okehampton.
This result really does underline the development of this Ottery team for, less than 12 months ago, they were promoted along with the then ‘runaway’ champions in the U12 division, Okehampton!
With Ottery having won the home encounter between the teams 4-0 just a fortnight before, the Okes switched this meeting to a smaller pitch, but, if the order of the day for the home side was ‘damage limitation’, the it did not work!
On a hard and bumpy surface it took the Otters just three minutes to make their mark in the contest with Milton scoring from close range after good build-up play involving skipper Fin Lashbrook and Jake Blackmore.
A minute later, striker Finn Upsher was fouled on the edge of the area and dead-ball specialist Sam Gleeson made no mistake with the free-kick.
End-to-end action followed with the home side netting next. George Durham then drew a splendid save out of the Okehampton glovesman and Freddie Clarke also went close while, at the other end of the pitch, Otters glovesman Jack Hembrow denied the hosts a second goal and half-time arrived with the one goal still between the sides.
had to be alert to prevent Okehampton from scoring.
On 32, Blackmore found Freddie Clarke, whose ferocious drive rattled the Okehampton crossbar. Ottery went in 2–1 up at the break.
The start of the second half saw Ottery introduce Zac Wilkinson and Alfie Gibbins and the former was soon testing the home glovesman with a fierce shot from 20 yards.
Jack carpenter then went close before Tom Bennett made it 3-1.
Fittingly, the hard-working Upsher scored the next goal – netting his 30th of the season after good work from Gleeson and Wilkinson.
The home side then scored their second before Clarke rifled home the ‘goal of the game’!
Rowan Hewitt, who had earlier made way or Will Reid, was summoned back into the action and it was his ‘assist’ that set up Milton, with a little help fro Clark, to make it 6-2.
Milton completed his hat-trick, scoring the Otters’ seventh and final goal with a slick volley.
The Otters now have a fortnight without action before they head to the Mid Devon home of Tiverton Town on May 4, to contest the Exeter and District Youth League Cup final against Panthers. There is one more league game to play and that is also against Exeter-based panthers with that match to be played on May 11.
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