Stitch2Print Devon & Exeter League division one: Wellington Reserves 4, Lympstone 1
Playing their last game of the season, our Reserves needed to carry on the great form which had carried them to the top of the league and knew a win would guarantee at least a top three finish.
Mark Owen again had a strong squad and went with an unchanged team from the impressive away win the previous week.
Man-of-the-match was Alfie Barrett who is pictured, centre, with the management team, from left, Ken Pearson, Mark Owen, Tom Hawkings and Michael Owen.
Kicking down the hill in the first half, they could not have asked for a worse start. Having all the play in the first 10 minutes, Lympstone played a high ball upfield and, with Wellington unable to clear, a visiting player hit a low speculative shot from fully 25 yards which went into the bottom right corner with keeper Charlie Hawkings stranded.
With Wellington really taking the game to Lympstone, Rohan Poulsom was sent clear on goal after 15 minutes but was tripped just outside the box. The Lympstone player was given a red card, with the resulting free kick came to nothing.
With most of the game being played in the Lympstone half, their keeper was dealing with everything coming his way and it needed something special to beat him.
Along came Luke Perry after 25 minutes to hits an unstoppable shot from just inside the box into the top corner.
Wellington kept the pressure going on the Lympstone goal, but poor finishing and great defending kept the score at 1-1 at half-time.
Now playing up the hill, Wellington knew chances would come if they stuck to the game plan.
After a fine move, the ball came to Rohan Poulsom who jinked past two defenders and the keeper and, from the tightest of angles, swept the ball home to put Wellington 2-1 up.
On such a warm day, substitutes were made on both sides, and it was one of Wellington’s replacements, Alfie Barrett, who scored the next.
After a good team move, the ball was crossed into the box and Barrett swept it past the keeper.
With the game drawing to a close, Perry got his second and Wellington’s fourth and round off a great end to the season.
The result keeps Wellington five points clear at the top, but with St Martins and Uni of Exeter 3rds still having games to play, they must now wait to see where they finish.
Wellington: Charlie Hawkings, Mark Owen, Dylan Groves, Connor Noble, Tom Davies, Sam Poole, Wes Poulsom, Aaron Hawkings, Rohan Poulsom, Olli Nott, Luke Perry. Substitutes: Tom Hawkings, Lenny Old, Ned Ogilvie, Dom Healey, Alfie Barrett.
Mark and all the team would like to say a big thank-you to all the supporters this season, home and away – some of the numbers at home watching have been outstanding.
The Supporters’ Player of the Season for our Reserves was named as Wes Poulsom who is pictured, centre, with sponsor Joe Conway of Conway Cladding Ltd and coach Tom Hawkings.
