HOLSWORTHY have reached the final of the Devon St Lukes Bowl after defeating Southern League outfit Bideford on penalties last night (Tuesday, March 24).

Due to Bideford suffering a last minute issue with their floodlights, the fixture was played at the Magpies’ Upcott Field instead in wet and windy conditions.

After a goalless 90 minutes, the game was decided on penalties with Holsworthy coming out on top with a 6-5 triumph.

They will now face either Bovey Tracey, who are the leaders in South West Peninsula League Premier East, or Plymouth Parkway of the Southern League in the final on Monday, May 6.

After the match, Magpies boss Kevin Squire said: “It’s been a really good night. The players and the management team are all buzzing and it’s a really good feeling we got through.”

“The committee, chairman and everyone at the club had done a really good job to get the game with 24 hours notice. They’ve done brilliant to get the pitch ready, to get the facilities in working order and so massive credit goes to them.

“The players were absolutely brilliant. In the 90 minutes, the wind has been super strong going one end. First half we had been on top because of the wind and created two or three chances that I’d like to think we could of done better at.

“We hadn’t taken our chances so we went into the interval thinking we might be backs to the wall a little bit in the second half. We were for spells but we still managed to create a couple of great chances, which again we hadn’t taken.

“But we defended like lions, we defended with our hearts and heads and worked magnificently as a team. Apart from a couple of corner they put in which we also dealt with, I can’t think of too many chances they had.

“It’s a brilliant feeling to beat two Southern League teams in the same competition in the same season, whether it’s on penalties or however you do it. We’re going to the cup final, the players are absolutely buzzing and everyone’s happy.”