Stoke, Buckland and Bovey big winners in the FA Vase

It was a fine weekend of upsets for South Devon clubs in the opening round of the FA Vase.

Stoke Gabriel & Torbay Police have enjoyed a solid start to the South West Peninsula League season but a visit from Western League outfit Helston Athletic represented a step up in quality.

Despite the credentials of their Cornish visitors, Stoke were the stronger starters and had chances to grab the lead, Reece Somers twice denied by the visiting custodian. Helston had a penalty claim waved away before Kieran Parkin was thwarted by an outstanding save from the Helston ‘keeper.

The door finally cranked open for Stoke ten minutes into the second half, when Joe Aldous cut inside his man and pinged a super low strike into the Helston net. Brother Ben Aldous then struck the bar, as the hosts turned the screw.

Helston simply had no answer to the Stoke surges and victory was sealed by a quickfire double from Parkin and Ben Aldous, completing a 3-0 victory and a top result for the club.

If the Stoke performance was impressive, Bovey Tracey went off the charts with their amazing 5-0 success at Torpoint Athletic, a side sitting second in the Western League.

Bovey are leading the way in the Peninsula League and travelled over the Tamar with confidence high, but even manager Ben Gerring must have been pleasantly surprised by the dominance of the display.

Callum Leech broke the deadlock with a top finish on 23 minutes and that was quickly followed by a close-range effort from Ollie Aplin. Talented young winger Jack Brimming added a third with a sumptuous volley before the break.

Bovey did not step off the gas in the second period, stretching their lead with an emphatic strike from Josh Webber and a brilliant day was rounded off by substitute Levi Landricombe.

Buckland Athletic recovered from going a goal down at home to Ilfracombe Town, surging into the next round with a 5-1 success, thanks to goals from Harvey Roche, Toby Hard, Ryan Bush, Jack Baxter and Luke Forward.

There was sadly FA Vase heartbreak for Newton Abbot Spurs, who were excellent in holding Western League hosts Bridgwater United to a 1-1 draw but then succumbed in the penalty shoot-out.

Brixham AFC were in Southern League action but fell to a 4-1 defeat at Exmouth Town, Charlie Johansen notching the consolation for the Fishermen.