Poor first half costs Ashes dear in FA Cup

SALTASH United crashed out of the FA Cup at the first hurdle at Kimberley Stadium on Saturday as they failed to recover from a nightmare start which saw fellow Western League Premier Division outfit Brixham score twice in the opening six minutes.

Talking on Sunday morning after his side’s first defeat of the season against their Devon-based opponents, manager Lee Britchford said: “They caught us cold and we didn’t look like we were at the races at all.

“We have to take responsibility for that – our first half performance was nowhere near good enough.”

Some players were still suffering the after-effects of a virus which swept through the dressing room last weekend and before Tuesday night’s draw at Ivybridge Town, but there were no excuses from Britchford. He said: “We huffed and puffed after their two goals, but we never really got into the game. They put us under constant pressure and tested how sound we were.

“Second half we were better but didn’t really string any moves together of any note. It was a stark reminder that when we’re not all at the races we’re not a very good team.

“We have to have everybody on it to be an effective team, and we just weren’t there yesterday. We looked disjointed and didn’t compete enough.”

Reece Somers set Brixham on their way with a fourth minute goal and before Saltash had had time to regroup, Tom Mortimore doubled the visitors’ lead in the sixth minute.

Any hopes of a second half revival from the Ashes was knocked on the head four minutes after the restart when Mortimore got his second and Brixham’s third. There was no way back after that.

The brightest moment in the tie for Saltash came three minutes from time when teenage striker George Powell - who was brought on just after the hour - scored his first senior goal to reduce the arrears.

Britchford said: “I was really pleased to see George get his goal. I said to him afterwards that I would have liked it to have meant more in the context of the result, but it was a really nice moment for him to score at Kimberley Stadium with his family there.”

The Ashes now have a 10-day break before they face a trip to last year’s play-off finalists Sidmouth Town in the Western League on Tuesday, August 18 (7.30pm), and Britchford believes they need a breather before they go to East Devon.

He said: “This was our third game in a week and the difference between our first one (in beating Portishead) and this one has been vast. It’s time for a reset and then be ready for a tough game at Sidmouth.”

SALTASH UNITED: Jordan Duffey; Dylan Holgate (Jack Jefford, 46), Alfie Wotton, Hayden Greening, Sam Joce (Max Everall, 51), Charlie Elkington (capt), Kieran O’Melia (Cole Fisher, 75), Fin Wilkes, Henry Donovan, Freddie Tolcher (Owen Davies, 46), Joe Preece (George Powell, 65). Sub not used: Hugo Massey.

BRIXHAM: Marko Radovanovic; Charlie Wills, Tyler Joint, Ryan Beattie, Kieran Parkin, Shay Corrick, Ben Aldous, Reece Somers, Charlie Shearer, Jack Chisholm, Tom Mortimore. Subs: Toby Hard, Charlie Johansen, James Moxon, Logan Aston, Lucas Robinson.

Men-of-the-match: Saltash United – George Powell; Brixham – Tom Mortimore.