FAC Brixham AFC V Okehampton Argyle 8th August 2023

[Dave]

Match referee Alan Bassett

Referee Assistants Richard Hill & Ollie Abercrombie

Final Score Brixham AFC 0 Okehampton Argyle 2

Attendance 204

Match preview

The FA Cup, the stuff dreams are made of and there is nothing wrong in having dreams. How many lower league players went to bed the night before an FA Cup game and dreamed they scored the winning goal in the final itself at Wembley.

For clubs like Brixham AFC and Okehampton Argyle even playing in a preliminary round of the FA Cup are wonderful achievements. While they know they are never going to reach the final itself, they will do their best to go as far as they can.

Tonight’s game is a replay after the game played at Simmons Park last Saturday in front of 483 spectators ended in a two all draw. Evan Howarth put Brixham one up in the 20th minute of the match and scored again in the 44th minute to give Brixham a two nil halftime lead.

But Okehampton fought back strongly in the second have with a 81st minute goal from Luke Reynolds and a very late goal scored in the 93rd minute of the match by Luke Mortimore.

Brixham will clearly start as the favourites for this match, last season the two clubs met three times and Brixham won them all. Two league fixtures and one in the St Lukes Challenge Cup. Okehampton looked the most likely team to be crowned as the Peninsula East league champions, but it was Brixham AFC who claimed the crown and won promotion to the Western League.

It’s a cup match and anything can happen as we know, it promises to be a cracking game and I am sure it will have goals in it and action from the first minute to the very last one.

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Tonight’s Programme Cover

Match Report


Football at times can be a very cruel game and I felt for all the Brixham players and those who run this great club. Results are so often decided on fine margins and lady luck often has a part to play. To think the game was in the last part of the extra time with the score still at nil nil. A great passing move and the ball is in the back of the Okehampton net. But up comes the offside flag. A great run into their box by Charlie Johanssen and a low shot across the keeper looked certain to go in, but hits the base of the left hand post. Moments later Brixham are two goals behind, just how did that happen?

This was a real cup tie, very competitive and plenty of quality football on show. While I felt Brixham were on top for most of the second half, during the second half with end to end action, I knew the game could go either way.

It was one of those games that neither team deserved to lose, but you have to give credit to Okehampton. Seconds away from going out of the cup last Saturday and now they look forward to facing Buckland Athletic in the next round.

The match referee got the game underway and the first half chance fell to Charlie Johanssen, he cut into the Okehampton box from the left hand side and got a shot away that lacked any real power to worry Jimmy Weeks who was in goal for Okehampton.

Brixham quickly got on top, a ball onto the Okehampton box from the right hand side of the pitch was headed just wide of the left hand post by Jesse Howe. Anther ball into the box was headed high over the crossbar by Kieran Parkin. Brixham were playing some quality football with slick passing and at this stage were looking the more likely team to score first.

With both defences being on top form, Brixham were often reduced to taking shots from outside the box. George Dandridge hit a 20 yard effort wide of the left hand post. Also from 20 yards Aaron Wellington hit a shot straight into the keeper’s arms.

Okehampton were still having their own moments in front of the Brixham goal, from just inside the box, Dale Chadwick hit a good shot that only just went past the left hand post.

That was it for the first half and it is always the case in football you need to score when you are on top in the game which Brixham failed to do.

The second half got underway and Okehampton started very strongly and were having a very good spell. But Brixham weathered the early storm and now there was nothing to choose between the two teams. From outside the right hand side of the Okehampton box, Josh Parry flashed a low shot across the face of the Oke goal that ended up going behind for a goal kick.

From the edge of the Brixham box, Charlie Harrod hit a shot that had goal written all over it, but a Brixham player managed to get his body in the way to block the shot before it reached the goal. Brixham’s sub Ben Aldous who played very well when he came on, hit a shot from the edge of the box just over the crossbar.

Charlie Johanssen hit a 20 yard effort over the crossbar, from the edge of the box, Kieran Parkin hit a shot just wide of the right hand post and then Ben Aldous hit another shot from the edge of the box over the bar.

The game was end to end and being played at such pace, but neither team were really able to create that gilt edged chance. The referee blew up for fulltime and extra time was looming.

The first period of extra time got underway and there was a big shout for an Okehampton penalty. I have seen spot kicks being given for less, but the match referee clearly did not see the incident worthy of a spot kick. Okes Dale Chadwick hit a good effort on goal from 20 yards that flew over the crossbar.

The second period of extra play got underway and to be honest at this point I thought we could all still be here way past midnight before we saw a goal.

Charlie Johanssen burst into the Okehampton box and appeared to be brought down from behind, the ref gave nothing. But some Okehampton fans behind me felt it was a clear penalty.

Then a very slick Brixham passing move saw the ball finally end up at the feet of Tom Mortimore who fired the ball home. But his celebrations were short lived as the linesman raised his flag for offside. A great run into the right hand side of the box by Charlie Johanssen saw his low shot across the keeper that just had to go in, hit the base of the far post and stay in play. Two opportunities that would have won the game for Brixham.

Up the other end the Brixham keeper Joe Moroney was forced into making a very good save from a shot from Charlie Harrod.

Then came the game changing moment in the 110 minute, Danny Gaze was too tight to Luke Mortimore who was able to roll around Danny with ease in the middle of the pitch. Luke then charged at the Brixham defence and laid the ball off to Luke Alden to slot into the far corner of the net.

Before Brixham could even think about getting back onto level terms they went even further behind just a minute later. A long ball pumped forward beat the Brixham defence and Ben Bickle was able to lift the ball over the out rushing keeper into the back of the net.

You wait all night for a goal then two come along almost at the same time. There was no time left for Brixham to be able to do anything about the score. Well done Okehampton for winning the match and well done the Brixham lads for all your effort, in the end so close but so far.

Many thanks to the match officials for all your help with the team sheets.