Sidmouth Town Reserves exited the Grandisson Cup at the hands of Lyme Regis in a rearranged tie.

With the Lyme Regis pitch unfit for play the tie was switched to Manstone Lane. On what was a heavy surface, the visitors began brightly playing some neat one-touch football that had, at times, the home side chasing shadows!

Slowly Town got to grips with the pitch and Jake Boyland went close with a dipping volley that the keeper pushed wide.

Riki Pitter was working well and Ben Goodier was prominent in midfield as the hosts pushed for a goal.

However, it was Lyme who struck first. When the ball was delivered from distance into the penalty area, a foul was spotted by the match official who duly awarded a penalty that was fired home.

Town replied with Goodier wasting a glorious chance after he had made an opening himself with some clever footwork.

Boyland hit the outside of the post when in one goal, albeit from a tight angle, but now the Vikings were clearly ‘awake’ and ‘in the contest’.

After the break more chances came and went for the Vikings as they sought parity. Unfortunately, a cruel deflection saw Robbie Powell beaten to give the visitors a two goal advantage – something that was mighty cruel on the home side.

Ten minutes later and Pitter had the chance to fire Town back to within one goal when he stepped up to take a penalty, but he drilled his effort down the middle and the Lyme glovesman stood his ground to keep the ball out.

Town continued to press and, with 15 minutes remaining, the goal that their honest endeavours deserved arrived with a Lyme defender getting the final touch.

However, that was as good as it got for Town, despite a frenetic closing stages when bodies were thrown forward in what proved a forlorn attempt to level things up.

equalise from the spot but went down the middle as the keeper stood up to block his Joint boss Paddy Thomas said: “To be fair, they [Lyme Regis} had plenty of possession, but they rarely troubled Robbie [Town glovesman Robbie Powell]. That said, we did create enough chances to win comfortably, but it wasn’t to be. Hand on heart; I am slightly disappointed with a couple of players as they did themselves and their teammates no favours with below par performances.”

The Town second team are away to Colyton in a Macron League Division Two meeting that is being played on the artificial surface at Axminster Leisure Centre (3pm). The game is a warm-up for next Wednesday’s Devon Senior Cup final between the same two sides.