Ottery prove they can match the best

OTTERY St Mary came within a whisker of getting the big wins manager Dane Bunney was hoping for against Totnes and Dartington on Saturday, and Peninsula League East leaders Stoke Gabriel midweek.

They lost 3-2 to Totnes and Dartington but Bunney was distinctly of the opinion that a sending off cost them the game.

He said: “We were 2-1 when one of our players was sent off, harshly I believed, and that was the turning point of the game. We should have been able to cope better, but it was disappointing.”

Ashley McDiarmid and Michael Burke were the scorers.

Another home match, this time midweek against high flying Stoke Gabriel, very nearly earned the Otters all three points and their performance will have boosted their confidence no end.

In the first half, Ottery were able to open up the top flight team and were 2-0 up at the break with goals from Shane Warrey and Chris Ibbeson.

Ottery could hear the Gabriels’ half time roasting from their changing rooms and they came out a different side after the break.

“Their goals were soft ones and, with better defending, we could have kept them out,” Bunney said.

“It was a shame we couldn’t hold out, but, at the same time, overall I was satisfied. It gives us a good platform to build on and go forward.”

This weekend, Ottery are in Devon Premier Cup action away to Ivybridge Reserves (1pm) and are back in league action on October 16 when they meet Appledore.

Appledore are second in the league table with 16 points from six matches, and a better defensive record than Stoke Gabriel, so Ottery will have their work cut out. But Ottery have a good record so far against the top sides and are more than capable of securing a result.