Blunders at the back cost Northside

Andy Keeble Tuesday, February 5, 2013
8.36 AM

Torridgeside capitalise on mistakes and hold firm when it mattered.

TORRIDGESIDE Reserves reduced the gap at the top of the Intermediate One table with a 2-1 at home to Northside Atlantic on Saturday.

Torrie took advantage of some defensive blunders to snatch a 2-0 lead inside 20 minutes at Donnacroft.

They finished the half the stronger of the two teams but an extra man in the Northside attack began to pay dividends after the break.

A fingertip save and the post denied Northside’s Vinny Bott before the striker finally added his name to the scoresheet with five minutes to play.

Oli Robinson cut in from out wide and laid the ball on a plate to Bott, who stroked it home to give his side what turned out to be a consolation.

Anchor Chiefs moved to fifth in the table with a 6-3 win against Equalizers at a watery Rock Park,

Joe Barker opened the scoring for the Chiefs in the seventh minute and Jamie Bushby, trying a new wing back role, made it 2-0 seven minutes later.

A cracking top corner volley by Lee Rogers, filling in from the reserves, increased the lead to three on the half-hour mark. Equalizers pulled one back though Matt Hawkins in the 35th minute but Barker scored another three minutes before the break to take a 4-1 half time lead.

Equalizers’ Hawkins and Mathew Mitchell pulled the scores back to 4-3 but normal service resumed when new signing Deiter Reid scored a debut goal and Darren Reeks put the gloss on a 3-6 win on a very heavy pitch.

Five different scorers gave Hartland a 5-1 win at home to Sporting Barum.

Joe Dakin, Richard Davey, Stephen Heard, Michael Nugent and Alex Slee were on target for the hosts while Jon Madge struck for Sporting at before the break to make the scores 2-1.

Hopes of a turnaround were dashed on 60 minutes when last man Sam Paddon conceded a clumsy penalty and saw red for his efforts.

It was one-way traffic from then on but Sporting keeper Matt Webber but in a good shift to limit the score to 5-1.

A deflected Gary Phipps shot after 10 minutes set Northam Lions Reserves on their way to a 4-1 win at home to Torrington Reserves.

Steve Robinson added a second before the break and substitute Andy Wenham made it 3-0.

Ali Bright finished off a good move to make it 4-0 with four minutes before a duo of last minute penalties gave added late drama at Burrough Farm.

Goalkeeper Steve Ronald saved the first but could only parry the second into the path of a visiting striker.

In the division’s other result, High Bickington drew 0-0 with Landkey Town.