Edenvale Turf Ltd Devon St Luke’s Challenge Cup Final

Plymouth Parkway  1 – 2  Exeter City

Played at Coach Road, Newton Abbot 29/04/2019

A purple patch from a young City team, in the middle of the second half, proved to be the difference between these two sides, Joel Randell and Josh Key scoring in the 60^th and 63^rd minutes to take the sting out of Parkway and, despite a Mikey Williams goal in added time, allow their captain Alex Hartridge to lift the trophy.

Parkway started brightly but were soon on the back foot as, in the fifth minute, Grecians Ben Seymour was brought down by 25 yards out resulting in a yellow card for Rob Farkins and a free kick from Randell fired wide of the far post. Two minutes later Aaron Bentley was at the other end trying an ambitious overhead kick that was deflected for a corner.

There then followed a battle for midfield supremacy with Parkway gradually getting on top. In the 24^th minute a free kick from Bentley was moved on by Jordan Annear to Shane Krac who was unlucky to see his shot deflected over the bar. In the 35^th minute it was Krac again, breaking free on right to latch on to a through ball from Bentley, but firing just wide from the edge of the box.

The young Grecians heeded the warning and five minutes before half time Kyle Moore in the Parkway goal did well to tip over a rising drive from Ben Seymour and so the half ended with honours even at nil-nil.

There were no changes at half time and both sides showed their commitment rather too strongly on occasion in a game being played at a fast pace. Krac was doing his best to lift his team but eventually it turned the way of the Grecians. In the 62^nd minute Seymour saw his header brilliantly saved by Moore but, from the resulting corner, Key fired home to give Exeter the lead. Three minutes later it was two-nil as Randall raced through the right side of the Parkway defence to fire his shot across Moore into the far corner to give his side a two-goal cushion. In the 67^th minute Key had another opportunity, receiving the ball from Seymour just in side the box and firing just wide.

Parkway started to find their way back into the game and in the 71^st minute the Grecian’s custodian, James Hamon, had to pull off a sharp save as Krac found himself with a freak opportunity from the edge of the box, an accidental one-two off the referee landing at his feet. As Parkway pressed forward so gaps started to appear at the back and in the 89^th minute Seymour had a shot well blocked by Moore.

The referee indicated three minutes of added time and in the first of those Parkway got some consolation for the effort they had put in, Annear getting around the back of the Grecians defence to fire in a sharp cross to which Williams got the final touch. So, by the smallest of margins, Exeter City became the holders of the Edenvale Turf St Luke’s Cup for 2018/2019

Man of the match: - Josh Key (Exeter City)

The next final is on Thursday 2^nd May when the Throgmorton Devon Premier Cup Final between Torridegeside and Bovey Tracey will be kicking off at Coach Road at 7.15pm. That will be followed by the Sportslighting Boys Under 15s Final Alphington v Galmpton again at Coach Road kicking off at 7.15 pm.