Welton failed to progress in the FA Cup when they were beaten by Peninsula Premier League Witheridge on a sunny afternoon in deepest Devon. The last time Welton progressed to the next round was in season 2005/06.

A good contingent of the Green Army made the trip and were encouraged by Welton’s early pressure on the home side. Lewis Dunn looked lively on the left and when he saw Witheridge keeper, Joe Moore, off his line, he launched a stunning strike that the back tracking keeper did well to save. Welton continued to press and good play from Dan Cottle saw him set up Dunn and his first time effort was brilliantly saved one handed by Moore to deny Welton the lead. The home side responded and a shot on the turn from Harry Taylor went wide of the Welton goal.

Steve Bridges then cleared a Taylor effort off the Welton goal line, as Witheridge got more into the game. Cottle was in the right position to clear a goal-bound shot from Jack Langford with Welton keeper, Ryan Perry, beaten. Witheridge took the lead five minutes before half-time when Taylor broke through the static Welton defence and raced towards goal. Perry came out to close him down, but the striker rounded the keeper and fired into the empty net. Just before the half-time whistle, a melee involving several players resulted in Witheridge’s Mike Humphries receiving his second yellow card of the game. Welton’s Bridges received a yellow card.

Could Welton break down the ten men of Witheridge in the second half? It started off well, with great individual play by Cottle, which saw him fire in a cracking shot that was well saved by Moore. Omar Simpson was then brought down on the edge of the Witheridge area, but the subsequent free-kick was fired straight into the Witheridge wall. It was all Welton as they pressed their hosts for the equaliser, but the Witheridge defence held firm and the longer the half went on, the more frustrated Welton got. Welton’s Tom Smith saw his long range effort go wide of the Witheridge post.

The sucker blow for Welton came in the 80th minute when a speculative long range shot from substitute, Luke Cole, took a wicked deflection and flew into the far corner of the Welton net. Welton continued to press and Chris Peck’s header was inches wide, but in the end, Welton’s interest in the FA Cup was over for another year.

Bob Allard