WELLINGTON Reserves ended their season in the Premier Division of the Devon & Exeter Football League with a 2-1 away victory over Lyme Regis.

Wellington began the game knowing they had secured at least a third-place finish. Player-manager Mark Owen rang the changes and gave some of his squad players a start.

The game was very even early on with both teams probing and, on a difficult pitch, defences stayed on top. With half-time approaching, the visitors made the breakthrough and it came from Owen with his first senior goal for the club. Wellington won a corner on the left and, as the ball was swung into the box, Owen met it with a fine header past the keeper and a defender on the line.

Personnel and formation changes at the break seemed to unsettle the balance of the team and Lyme got back into the game within ten minutes of the restart. As the ball was crossed into the box hard and low, keeper Charlie Hawkings was unable to hold on to it and the Lyme forward tapped into an empty net.

Wellington took this opportunity to make their final substitutions and took the game to Lyme. Jack Bryant was unlucky on two occasions when he hit the post from a 25-yard shot and also had a ‘goal’ disallowed with a player judged offside in the build-up.

With 20 minutes to go, they did regain the lead when Sam Bryant met a free kick with a thumping header from 15 yards past the keeper.

Wellington stayed strong and held on for a win which kept them in second place although Exeter Uni, still with five games to play, can still pip them for runners-up spot. But it has still been a great season for Owen and his team, playing for the first time in the Devon and Exeter Premier League.