HOLSWORTHY continued their pursuit of the top six with a come from behind victory over neighbours Bude Town on Friday morning at Upcott Field.

In far from conducive conditions for freeflowing football, Bude, playing up the slope in the first half, were the better side in the early stages, although the biggest talking points were Billy Hopcroft picking up a yellow for a late foul and Bude’s Ollie Cleave failing to get one for a poor challenge in front of the home bench.

The ever-industrious Jay Thomas had two shots well blocked in the 19th minute following a corner from his midfield compatriot Rory Simmons, but it was the Seasiders who took the lead just before the half-hour mark.

Finn Reeve’s cross in from the left found Hopcroft with his back to goal and he was able to turn before firing a shot through a defender’s legs and in past Ryan Chadwick.

Bude felt they should have had a penalty when Harrison Swatton went down in the box, and Hopcroft had a decent chance to double the lead just before the break, but his downward header from Jake Woodland was saved.

After half-time, Holsworthy looked unrecognisable from the one that failed to seriously test Ty Rowe in the opening 45 minutes.

They were level on 53 minutes as a huge scramble in the box ended with attacker Brad Ausden prodding the ball over the line from the floor, although the Seasiders were far from happy as they felt keeper Ty Rowe had two hands on the ball moments before.

Four minutes later the contest had swung completely. A corner in from the right was brilliantly kept in at the far post - in the opinion of the officials - by centre-half Callum Martyn, allowing left-back Carter to fire in from eight yards.

Shortly after, visiting boss Steve Hackett introduced striker Jake Gilbert and winger Mason Tape, but initially it was the Devonians that created the chances as they looked for a match-clinching third.

On 73 minutes Rowe spread himself superbly to deny Ben Sharpe after a long ball had been flicked on by Craig Duff, and three minutes later Ausden could only screw a shot wide from 18 yards.

Two minutes later, Bude centre-half James Wheeler did brilliantly to catch up with the advancing Sharpe and win the ball when the in-form frontman was through on goal.

Bude then went for the jugular in the final 10 minutes and were left wandering how they didn’t secure a point as Tape’s angled drive towards the near post was brilliantly kept out by Chadwick.

Sharpe headed over from six yards as injury-time approached, before Bude had another golden opportunity in the dying seconds as Boxing Day’s match-winner Dylan Morgan, who was otherwise faultless, shot over after an initial effort was blocked.

HOLSWORTHY: Ryan Chadwick; Sam Hill, Jedd Peschke (capt), Callum Martyn, Gavin Carter; Jay Thomas, Rory Simmons, Aiden Slade; Ben Sharpe, Craig Duff, Brad Ausden. Subs: Josh Down, Rob Pearce, Lewis Haxell, Gabe Rutter.

BUDE TOWN: Ty Rowe; Jake Woodland, Harry Hopcroft, James Wheeler, Finn Reeve (capt); Nathan Colley; Ollie Cleave, Dylan Morgan, Harrison Swatton, Piran Friend; Billy Hopcroft. Subs: Jamie Gorst, Aaron Hart, Ryan Leverton, Mason Tape, Jake Gilbert.

Men-of-the-match: Holsworthy – Rory Simmons; Bude Town – Dylan Morgan.