Carlsberg South West Peninsula division One East

Liverton United 1

Okehampton Argyle 0

ARGYLE took league leaders Liverton to the wire in this game, matching them throughout for skill and effort, and were very unlucky to lose to a goal scored in the second minute of added time.

The visitors played some excellent football and were as good as the home side for 99% of the game.

The first half was a tremendously competitive mid-field battle and Okehampton's line-up of Steve Madge, Rob Clarke, Ed Squire, Toby Gostling and Luke Alden all worked hard to keep the Liverton midfield, led by the outstanding Simon Laughton under control.

Alden was unable to produce much of an attacking threat in the half and Dave Youlden was left to plough a lone furrow up front. Liverton had more territory in the first period but their attacks broke down in the last third of the field where the Argyle back four of Alex Wren, Dale Chadwick, Matt Mortimer and Chris Wills were in tremendous form.

Liverton began to put more pressure on the Okehampton after the break but could not penetrate their stubborn defence although keeper Harry Geering was called upon to deal with some difficult crosses, which he handled well despite being pressurised by the burly home forwards.

As the half wore on, Argyle brought on an extra forward in Brad Ausden for Gostling and then replaced Youlden with Will Hawking. These fresh legs gave Argyle extra impetus up front and the home defence began to look shaky.

Alden and Hawking combined well down the left and Hawking cut in to threaten the home goal but the danger was cleared. Alden created a good opening for himself but his shot went wide. The game could have gone either way but a draw seemed the most likely and perhaps the fairest result. But in the second minute of injury time, Liverton's Ollie Booth cut in from the left and fired in a fierce shot that Geering did well to parry, only for Stuart Bowker to net the rebound and give the home side all three points.

The Argyle players were gutted to have lost this fiercely contested match in such a way and left the field looking very disconsolate, but they should hold their heads up high after putting in a tremendous performance which definitely matched that of the runaway league leaders.

n This Saturday Argyle are at home in the league to Axminster Town, kick-off 3pm.

P W D L F A Pts

Liverton 27 22 2 3 82 27 68

Stoke G 27 17 5 5 89 51 56

Exmouth 26 17 3 6 65 30 54

Galmpton 25 17 3 5 65 38 54

Alphington 27 16 2 9 62 47 50

Teignmouth 27 14 4 9 68 51 46

Oke Argyle 29 12 9 8 58 51 45