Fluxton 3 , Ottery St Mary 2nds 2

Fresha Div Seven

Fluxton’s Tipton St John pitch was in surprisingly good nick for this match with rivals Ottery, writes Gordon Howe.

the young Otters romped to an early lead, finding space through and round the Fluxton defence and were two goals up after 20 minutes. The turning point came, before half-time when Tom Rapps was upturned in the penalty area and Olly Paget converted the spot kick.

The second half proved a different story. For most of the half Fluxton were encamped in the Otter half. Although Tom Rapps’s mobility was limited, the remaining midfielders gradually got a grip on the game with Alex Paget proving especially dominant in the air.

The result of this pressure was two headed own goals in the Otters’ net, and from then on the stalwart Fluxton defence of Tristan Long, Andrew Butcher, Will Boyd, Chris Sercombe and brother Matt in goal were rarely troubled. Sam Fisher and Steve Winsor in particular harried the Otter defence mercilessly.

As the game went on the maturity of the Fluxton team shone through, while the Otters argued increasingly, both with the referee and themselves.

Man of the Match was Olly Paget for his strength and tireless running throughout.