IVYBRIDGE Town saw their recent impressive home run end with a 5-0 defeat by Slimbridge AFC in the second round of the FA Vase at Erme Valley on Saturday, November 8, reports Graham Hambly.

It was the final fixture in a run of seven home games which produced seven points from three league matches plus victories over Totton & Eling in the FA Vase and Torpoint in the Les Phillips League Cup.

Any hopes of further progress in the Vase, however, were dashed by deserved victors Slimbridge.

The Hellenic League side raced into a 16th-minute lead with a goal from Aaron Evans-Harriot and added a second with a header from skipper Charlie Hitchings six minutes later.

It was clear it was not going to be Ivybridge’s afternoon when referee Ryan Dennis waved aside claims for a penalty for a handball incident.

Slimbridge scored a third goal in the 33rd minute through Jack Smith and then made it 4-0 at the interval with an excellent angled shot by Jack W Smith in the first minute of stoppage time.

In fairness to Ivybridge, they kept battling in the second half and might have reduced their arrears when they had a goal-bound effort cleared off the line.

The decisions still did not go Ivybridge’s way, however, and Slimbridge were awarded a penalty for a challenge on Raiyan Ahmed with Alex Bell converting the 79th-minute spot kick to complete the scoring.

Ivybridge joint manager Brad Gargett admitted that his side were beaten by a better team, adding: “You have just got to credit the opposition. Slimbridge were the best team we have come up against. We were comprehensively beaten by a good team today.”

Gargett took some consolation from the way his players responded in the second half, saying: “I thought the reaction in the second half was pretty good. The boys carried on working and did not give in.”

Gargett reflected on the fact that the previous two matches were against Torpoint and Clevedon, who are the top two teams in the Jewson Western League, while Slimbridge are currently third in the Hellenic table, one point behind the leaders with two games in hand.

He said: “We have had three really tough games on the bounce and maybe this one was a bit too far.”

Ivybridge now have a clear week before their next game, a league visit to Wellington AFC on Saturday 15. Wellington, who are in the bottom three and lost 4-2 at Newquay AFC on Saturday, have recently had a change of management.

Gargett says: “Wellington will be up for the task with a new manager. Whenever a new manager comes in it gives a team a bit of emphasis.

“But we have been in good form in the league and now we have a week to prepare.”

There were three other Western League sides in Vase action on Saturday. Barnstaple Town won 3-1 at home against Sherborne Town, Helston Athletic were eliminated by a penalty shootout away at Cinderford Town and Buckland Athletic had the most dramatic tie of all.

After a 2-2 draw in normal time, a seemingly never-ending shootout ensued that saw the Bucks eventually prevail 12-11 over Millbrook FC, from 30 combined attempts.

Image courtesy of Iain Mellis Photography.