NEWTON ABBOT 3 - CREDITON UNITED 2

CREDITON travelled away to the Rec hoping to qualify for the first round proper of the FA Vase.

After Dave Lee won the toss for the yellows, the game got underway. Crediton started the game slowly without stringing together any meaningful passes, instead opting to look long to the energetic striker Kenny Ord.

Spurs started the game looking like a team who wanted to play, with winger Charlie Johansen getting a lot of joy down Crediton’s left-hand side.

And it was that man Johansen who, just three minutes into the game, received a delightful outside of the foot pass from Cieran Bridger before crossing low and hard for striker Nathan Hebbes to poke the ball past Crediton keeper Lewis Slade.

Crediton needed to find a response to the early goal, and Kenny Ord nearly did just that only two minutes after conceding, bringing a strong save from Dom Aplin.

Newton Abbot Spurs continued their pressure, with Josh Webber putting in a few decent crosses without anyone testing Slade’s goal.

At 15 minutes in, Spurs’ most lively player of the game, so far, Charlie Johansen was substituted for Adam Dyson due to an injury.

They were still looking lively, with goalscorer Nathan Hebbes driving into the box and drawing a good save from Slade. From the resulting corner, Sean Adderley fired over.

Crediton’s second chance of the game came as Kenny Ord lifted a shot agonisingly over the bar from just outside the area but his goal would come in the 32nd minute, however, Will Hammill slipping through the striker to slot calmly past Aplin.

In fairness, Spurs had dominated proceedings up until Ord’s equaliser but the goal seemed to give Crediton some momentum, Panashe Mwamuka struck on target from a free-kick but Aplin showed good hands to hold the ball, and in general Crediton’s play was improving with some lovely link-up play.

Slade had to bail his team out again as he athletically tipped over a venomous volley from right-back Joe Andrews. As Crediton looked to see out the half at 1-1 the sub Dyson was slipped in and squared for Liam Moseley to bury into an empty net.

The Crediton defenders looked across to the linesman as Dyson appeared to be in an offside position but the flag stayed down and as such, Newton Abbot Spurs had a one goal lead going into half-time.

Spurs started the second-half like they ended the first with Moseley firing towards goal, which looked destined for the back of the net had it not been for the feet of Lewis Slade.

Crediton managed to re-install a foothold in the game with Will Hammil holding the ball up well and linking up play down the right-hand side.

The referee also got involved with the game, booking Crediton skipper Dave Lee for pulling down a Spurs player to stop the counter-attack.

The referee also waved away Cieran Bridger’s penalty calls after the technical midfielder felt like he had been brought down in the box.

Crediton looked to push on and find an equaliser but ultimately that cost them, as around the hour mark Josh Webber found himself in a lot of space 20 yards from goal, expertly picking out the far corner, leaving Slade with no chance.

Crediton could’ve dropped their heads and accepted defeat but they weren’t willing to roll over.

With five minutes to go Will Hammill cut inside and took a shot which got a nasty deflection past Aplin.

From this point, the yellows pumped the ball into the box searching for an equaliser but it proved to be to no avail, as a combination of impressive defending and game management allowed Spurs to see the game out.

United are away again this week at Brixham but the Reserves are at home to Chagford.

Roo Ludgate