THE Magpies paid for a host of missed chances as Premier East leaders Cullompton eventually proved to strong at Speeds Meadow.

Holsworthy headed to East Devon sitting pretty in fifth in SWPL Premier West and in confident mood following Tuesday night’s victory at Millbrook.

They had to do without skipper Jedd Peschke which meant George Plumb moved from central midfield to the heart of the defence, while exciting winger Owen Lauderdale also came back into the side.

After a scrappy opening five minutes, Holsworthy created a host of chances in the first half either side of taking the lead on 26 minutes as a long ball forward saw top-scorer Ben Sharpe round the goalkeeper before cutting in off the touchline and rolling the ball in.

Either side of that, he volleyed over from Sam Lynham’s ball in and had an effort from six yards blocked on the line, while Plumb shot wide from close-range following Callum Martyn’s header back across goal.

Cully, who struck the post before the first goal, are flying high in Premier East and showed why in a second half Holsworthy boss Kevin Squire later described as a ‘horror show’.

Josh Coles dispossessed Plumb before shooting in from 10 yards on 57 minutes, while the second goal was also a mistake from the visitors as right-back Jeff Anglia, who had earlier made a superb block, dallied and Lloyd White rifled in with 15 to play.

A third came late on via Dave Lee’s looping header as the Magpies exited the League Cup at the first opportunity.

Squire admitted they got what they deserved in the end.

He said: “It was a real tale of two halves. The first half was very very good where we could have been four or five goals up, but the second half was a horror show to be honest from our point of view, and mistakes have cost us the game.

“There’s been a few times now where we’ve played well for a half or an hour, but it’s about how you finish games.

“Football is about taking your chances when you get them and limiting them at the other end, and unfortunately today, despite our good play going forward at times, we didn’t really do either.”

Thankfully for Squire and the Magpies there is little time to dwell on the cup exit as they face former English Football League side Torquay United away from home tomorrow night in the Devon St Luke’s Challenge Cup (7.30pm).

The Magpies defied all the odds to reach the final last year where they lost to now Western League Premier Division outfit Bovey Tracey, but Squire just wants his side to enjoy the occasion at Plainmoor.

He concluded: “The games continue to come thick, but it’s a really exciting game for us on Tuesday night.

“It’ll be a great challenge for us and in the last round against Bovey they used seven professionals, so we’ll have to see what we come up against. But for us it’s about giving a good account of ourselves and seeing what happens on the night.”

HOLSWORTHY: Ryan Chadwick; Jeff Anglia, George Plumb, Callum Martyn, George King; Gavin Carter, Rory Simmons (capt), Gabe Rutter; Sam Lynham, Ben Sharpe, Owen Lauderdale. Subs: Josh Down, Chris Wildern, Aaron Hart.