After 227 days and 29 games the Ottery St Mary season ended under the Washbrook Meadow floodlights as the Otters suffered a 1-0 defeat in the quarter-finals of the Golesworthy Cup to East Devon rivals Otterton.

The only goal of a well contested match was scored with 15 minutes remaining after which the Otters tried manfully to find an equaliser, but to no avail.

Ottery boss Dave Fairweather said: “It was all so typical of our season in terms of the outcome on the night. We were close, but not close enough and, hand on heart, we just came up short in the final third. I don’t think any one watching would, have been able to dispute that we bossed the middle third, were controlled and disciplined at the back, but , where, and when, it really mattered, we came up short in terms of the final necessary quality in the final third of the pitch.”

The Ottery chief continued: “They [Otterton] did what we expected. They were strong and committed and carried a threat at set-pieces. However, we coped admirably with that and the only goal came with a massive deflection. That said, good luck to Otterton, they won and we didn’t, but for me it was that final third – and in particular the decision making once we got the ball into that area– that made the difference on the night.”