The Budleigh Salterton football season is drawing to a close and a thrilling 4-4 draw at Plymstock United in the Devon Football League, writes Alan Beer.

The tone was set from the start, with both sides on the attack. Plymstock grabbed the lead with a fine strike and quickly doubled that advantage with an own goal. The Robins responded with a penalty from Jack Hocking.

After the break, a top save from Luke Burns kept Budleigh in the game but Plymstock did extend the score to 3-1. After a goalmouth scramble, Joe Packer-Byrne forced the ball over the line and on 90 minutes, Charlie Skinner levelled the tie at 3-3.

Incredibly, Budleigh then scored again through Oscar Walsh but Plymstock, somehow, snatched a point from the subsequent kick-off. What a game!

Exmouth Journal: Oscar Walsh

Budleigh Salterton Veterans have marched into the semi-finals of the League Cup with a dramatic penalty shoot-out victory over Plymstock, and the Budleigh boys produced one of the best team performances from the long careers of these journeymen footballers.

Goalkeeper Andy Bennett had no chance from a harsh penalty but he would have his revenge. The dynamic Brett Wright burst forward on to a ball from Danny Williams and was shoved over inside the box. The resultant penalty was cleanly dispatched by Williams.

In the second half, the Robins had a lot of good forward play, with Daniel Atkinson playing a fine game leading the line. They were rewarded when the former scuffed a right foot shot across the goal, where Wright somehow managed to slide in and get the ball into the back of the net.

Then, in an unfortunate stroke of luck, a wayward cross looped straight into the far top corner to the utter despair of the Budleigh backline.

Budleigh were now out on their feet and had to weather the last onslaught from Plymstock chucking everything forward. However, Alan Barnsley, A Jones, Tim Whiteoak, Tim Nield and Dave Radford had stood firm all game and would not allow anything past them. The game ended level and went to penalties.  

Radford, Wright, Williams and Atkinson all scored, so when Bennett saved the second penalty and Plymstock skyed their fourth, the Robins were celebrating their amazing achievement and were in the semi-finals.