Can Ottery do the double and bring home the cup

Reserves looking to make it 2-0 on the first team in Devons oldest cup competition

The last game of the season for Joma Devon & Exeter League teams takes place this saturday June 19 when Ottery St Mary Res hope to lift the Countys oldest competition the Firewatch Devon Senior cup. The trophy last season won by Thorverton has giants Plymouth Argyle, Torquay United and Tiverton Town among its former winners, but strangely not Exeter City, although this will mark the 122nd final since its inception in 1890.

The Otters line up against Northam Lions from Bideford at Coach Road Newton Abbot 2pm kick off, and apart from the Premier County final that will bring the curtain down on what most teams would rate as the most troubled football season in living memory.

If history is on their side then an Otter victory would double the Seconds wins in the cup having won it 33 years ago in 1988 with a stunning 5-1 win against Elmore Res. For the romantics among you the Otters goals on that occasion came from a Pip Perryman hat-trick after he came on as substitute, Steve Roach and Steve Lever. Pete Buckingham was the eagles scorer.
That was some season for Ottery though with the first team losing to Barnstaple Town 4-1 in the Devon St Lukes Cup. For the record Peter Hatch the former Exeter City legend converted a penalty for Barnstaple, and the Otters only success was a Goddard own goal.

The Otters seconds can also claim bragging rights on their first team whose one appearance in the Senior cup was in 1960 at St James Park when they lost 7-2 against Torquay United Res. A real point of interest here was that former E and D League Secretary Eric Manning scored both Ottery goals that day including a penalty, but the gulls were just too good.
This saturday Otterys opponents Northam Lions have never been in a County final at any level but the North Devon League side have every incentive to wreck Ottery hopes.

Tuesday 15th June 2021