Devon Intermediate Cup

Buckland & Milber IIs 0,

Dartmouth AFC IIs 8

Dartmouth faced lower-league opponents in their ­opening cup game of the season and made light work of the ­division five hosts, scoring four goals in each half to advance comfortably to round two.

On a narrow and bumpy pitch, the visitors soon began to ­acclimatise to the unusual ­surroundings and opened the scoring in the eighth minute. Teddy Armitage received a smart pass from Richard Yeo down the left wing and played a sublime ball into the path of Will Kenny, who rounded the onrushing ’keeper before rolling the ball into an empty net.

The lead was doubled two ­minutes later, when a good move involving Darts skipper Scott McRoy and Robbie Chalk allowed Jimmy Lee to score from just inside the box.

The game was only 17 minutes old when Dartmouth scored a third goal to really knock the stuffing out of the home side. Liam Wadeson gained possession and drove at the Bucks’ defence before rolling a pass into striker Nick Rushe, who turned his marker well before fizzing a shot beyond the ’keeper from 20 yards out.

Ten minutes later and the tie was over as a contest with a fourth that was an early contender for goal of the season.

A brilliant move was started by central defenders Dan Drury

and Chris Collett, who calmly exchanged passes before feeding the ball to Lee, and from fully 30 yards out the midfielder let fly with a screamer that flew into the top corner for his second goal of the game.

Chalk and Armitage created numerous chances for the strikers from the flanks late on, but the score remained 4-0 at the break.

The second period began a bit sluggishly and the hosts battled well to keep the scoreline respectable, but the introduction of all three Dartmouth substitutes on the hour mark soon brought life back into their attacking game, with two of them getting on the scoresheet.

First Rhys Morrallee made it 5-0 from the penalty spot, having only been on the pitch for three minutes, after Will Kenny was cruelly upended inside the area following another dazzling run.

Kenny then grabbed his second of the match with a crisp finish following a clever pass from Wadeson, who was now playing on the wing after the arrival of Carl Woodgate at full back.

Morrallee then put the outstanding Kenny through on goal, only for the striker to be fouled on the edge of the box as he looked to grab a hat-trick.

Another of the substitutes, Kev Causley, smashed home the resulting free kick to make it 7-0 to the mighty Darts. The scoring was completed with five minutes to go when Rushe eventually slotted home his second goal of the match after earlier being denied by the impressive Bucks ’keeper.

This Saturday Dartmouth return to league action as they travel to local rivals Dittisham United in a 2.30pm kick-off at Shinners Meadow.

The Dartmouth man of the match was Will Kenny.