BUCKLAND Athletic were unable to hang on to their lead against Exmouth Town as they exit at the preliminary round stage of the FA Cup.

Ryan Bush, who scored the decisive goal in the league win over Wellington AFC the weekend prior, headed Matt Cusack’s side ahead at Southern Road.

Then, in what Cusack described as a “mad five-minute spell” on social media after the game, the Southern League side struck twice to lead 2-1, a scoreline which they would then maintain for the rest of the afternoon.

On Twitter, describing the second Exmouth goal, Buckland themselves wrote: “And the game turns on its head. Pocock goes to pass the ball back to Duffey, it falls short and it’s a simple round and finish into an empty net.”

Exmouth are a higher-ranked side though and so the Yellows should have no shame in this narrow defeat.

Cusack added, “Disappointed with the result as our performance deserved more. Proud of our lads who were terrific first half and apart from a mad five-minute spell [in the] second half, can count ourselves unlucky. All the best to Exmouth Town FC in the next round.”

In the days leading up to this cup clash, Buckland also had a league game which saw them visit Street FC in Somerset.

It looked for all the while that the Cobblers would be sending their visitors home empty-handed following a very controversial third goal. Buckland were convinced that Bush had drawn it level at 2-2 only for the game to continue and Street to make it 3-1 down the other end.

Scott Pocock halved the deficit in the third minute of added time and then Jack Baxter helped the away side snatch a draw from the jaws of defeat.

Next up, on Saturday 23, the Bucks are away at Elburton Villa in the FA Vase first qualifying round.