By Kevin Marriott

WESTERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION

Oldland Abbotonians 1 Saltash United 2

At the eighth time of asking, Saltash United finally opened their ‘win’ account after a nail-biting finale to Saturday’s match at Castle Road.

Relief and joy spilled over in equal measure from the Ashes’ camp as the final whistle confirmed their first three-point return after a frustrating start to the campaign.

Macca Brown’s side were forced to dig deep to preserve a 2-1 lead but there was little doubt they deserved the victory.

It took an all round team effort but the glory was taken by midfield maestro Tom Payne, whose audacious 80th minute goal from the centre circle deserved to win any match.

Payne had set the Ashes on their way by converting a 35th minute penalty before Oldland’s Harry Haughton set up a tense finish with a 74th minute equaliser. 

Brown said: “It’s nice to get the monkey off our back. Obviously when you’re searching for that first win and it goes on and on it naturally starts to impact confidence and morale.

“So it’s nice to get it out the way even if it should have come much sooner in the season. 

“In terms of their effort and attitude the lads were absolutely brilliant. I think some of them have felt they have been doing enough, but they haven’t and results have reflected that.

“Over the years our teams have always prided themselves on running themselves into the ground and still asking for more, and yesterday was the first time we’ve come close to those levels and hopefully the lads can see that is what is expected of them now.”

On Saturday’s game, Brown said: “We probably should have been out of sight at half-time. Ben Goulty had a wonderful chance and Kieran O’Melia had two or three, so even though we went in ahead at the break, I felt the game should have been put to bed because we limited them to very little as well. 

“In the second half we had to dig in at times, which you have to expect when you’re leading by the odd goal away from home. 

“Oldland are on a decent run, and they turned the screw a bit, Craig changed their shape and they got an equaliser after we defended magnificently in a period of about 10 minutes. 

“Jordan Duffey probably made the best sequence of saves I’ve ever seen with an outstanding triple save, and not long after Ethan Wright cleared one off the line brilliantly before they eventually tapped it in.”

He went on: “Going back to confidence and morale, at that point you wonder what the response is going to be, but thankfully Tom popped up with a moment of magic just at the right time. 

“To be fair, when the ball dropped to him I urged him to shoot even though it was in the centre circle because I could see the keeper off his line and I know he’s got that in him.

“But it’s a lot easier to see that from the side of the pitch and it didn’t look like it was going to fall nicely for him – but what a strike, incredible awareness and technique, a brilliant goal and his brace has won us the game.”

And star striker Rikki Shepherd could soon return to action after being told his knee injury is not serious.

Brown said: “We’ve had some positive news regarding Rikki’s injury, which isn’t as bad as we feared, so there’s light at the end of the tunnel in that respect too.”