Culm United 3-1 Okehampton Argyle

This was a below-par performance from Okehampton against a team who play their football a division below them. The Okes looked tired and jaded having played 3 tough league matches in the 8 days leading up to this match. From the kick-off, both teams attempted to play the long ball over the opposing defence and neither team produced any really constructive moves. There was little to chose between the teams, although the Okes produced more clear cut chances but failed to put them away.
Culm took the lead when a high cross into the area saw the Okes goalkeeper, Sean Sandercock, clearly impeded by a Culm forward as he attempted to catch the ball. The ball broke loose and a Culm forward shot it into the net with the referee ignoring all appeals for a foul. Okehampton fought back and as half-time approached, Adam Mortimer latched onto a loose ball in the Culm penalty area and shot home the equaliser.
The second half continued with the pattern of long, hopeful through balls that we had seen in the first half, and neither team stamped their authority on the match. Then the whole game turned on an unfortunate incident. A mistake in the Okes defence left a Culm forward racing clear. Sean Sandercock rushed off his line to block the shot, but was fractionally outside the goal area and was sent off for deliberate handball. Daniel Malcolm took over in goal, but with the Okes down to ten men, it was only a matter of time before Culm took the lead. In fact, they scored 2 well-taken goals before Okehampton adjusted to their reshuffled line-up. Then for the last 10 minutes, Okehampton at last started to play the football they are capable of and pressed Culm back into their own half, but the much-needed goal just would not come.