Hartpury FC fell to a frustrating 2-1 defeat to Exmouth Town on Saturday at the 4ED Hartpury Stadium.
Vanylson Silva’s second half strike wasn’t enough to overturn an Oliver Knowles free kick and an own goal, seeing Exmouth leave Gloucestershire with all three points.
The Acorns started on the front foot with Silva testing the Exmouth goalkeeper, Chris Wright, but was denied on both occassions.
Drew Robinson attempted a first time volleyed effort on 14 minutes, following a Louis Manning cross, but it flew just wide.
But it was Exmouth who went ahead when Knowles curled a free kick past Ryan Smallwood on 22 minutes, which told the story of the first half.
HALF TIME- HARTPURY FC 0-1 EXMOUTH TOWN
It was an unwanted start for the Acorns as Exmouth doubled their lead on 47 minutes when the ball was bundled over the line following a free-kick.
But five minutes later, Silva fired one back for the Acorns when Billy Osborn stepped over a low cross allowing the winger to smash home from close range on 52 minutes.
That sparked the Acorns into action and, after a brilliant run through midfield from Renato Prifti, a ball across goal was smashed into the side netting from Manning.
Silva went close to a second on 61 minutes but could only fire over from inside the area after some beautiful football from the Acorns.
The Acorns were inches away from an equaliser on 75 minutes when Robinson’s low driven close skipped past the stretching toe of Osborn and wide.
Renato Prifti was denied by a smart low stop on 88 minutes after taking aim from distance.
The Acorns continued pressure went unrewarded seeing us fall to back-to-back defeats, which the side will look to put right next Saturday when we travel to Willand Rovers.
FULL TIME- HARTPURY FC 1-3 EXMOUTH TOWN
STARTING XI: Smallwood (GK), Kent, Robinson, Towns (Shyamapant 83’), Sims (Vaughan 70’), Jenkins, Prifti, Coates (Bonnick 53’), Manning, Osborn ©, Silva
UNUSED SUBS: Reid
