OWEN Green’s early goal was quickly matched as Newton Abbot Spurs were held to a 1-1 draw at Brixham on Wednesday.

Green’s goal came after just eight minutes, but the Fishermen reeled their visitors in with a Kieran Parkin goal only three minutes later.

‘[We were] disappointed to draw in the end,’ said Spurs boss Marc Revell. ‘I think we gave a good account of ourselves.’

‘We came into tonight off the back of a poor result at home to Dartmouth and then Saturday [3-2 win against Elmore] was an up-and-down performance, it was a little bit in-and-out and we didn’t really do what I wanted.

‘I came into tonight telling the lads that they’re going to have to give a good account of themselves and work their socks off to get anything.’

Spurs stormed into the lead after only eight minutes of play. Green picked up possession on the edge of the box and fired his effort into a crowded penalty area. Goalkeeper Grant Fisher might have been unsighted through the bodies as he failed to get a strong hand to the ball, with the sting on the effort taking it through his grasp and into the net.

The reply came soon after. A long throw into the box caused all sorts of issues and found Parkin at the far post, who had evaded his marker and got into an area from which he could smash home into a vacant net.

‘We played a slightly more attacking formation,’ Revell continued. ‘We went 4-3-3 but with it in mind that when they got the ball wide, because they like to run at full-backs, that the midfielders doubled-up and helped out.

‘As a back four and a back five, they were absolutely brilliant. It was a bit disappointing to concede so quickly after scoring - that’s when you need to keep it tight and that was my only criticism tonight, then I’m perfectly happy.’

Both sides came close to scoring again before the break. Spurs’ Gavin Collins reacted first to a quick throw-in on the half-hour mark and tried his luck from range. Gloves-man Fisher again spilled the effort, but his rearguard were wise to it and cleared.

Brixham saw the last chance of the half saved brilliantly by Joel Patchett. A free-kick was floated deep into the box and Patchett came out to close the angle. The delivery was cleverly hooked back across goal for Scott Robinson to let fly, with Patchett making a sensational reaction save to keep scores level as he travelled back across goal.

Spurs were in the ascendency in the second half. Just before the hour mark, Lloyd Gardner sent a long ball over the top for talismanic striker James Moxon, who did well to steer out of the corner and lay the ball off for Green. Green fired a blistering effort across goal but saw it fly inches wide of the far post.

Green squandered a chance to win the game in the dying minutes. Having beaten three men on a rapid counterattack and broken clear of any challenge at staggering speed, Green bore down on goal and opted to take the shot on himself. Fisher saved well and ensured that points would be shared at Wall Park.

‘The lads are devastated to draw given Brixham were hanging on the last 15 minutes,’ Revell explained. ‘Had we gone on another 10 minutes they would have died even more, but unfortunately you don’t play 100 minutes, you play 90, and the lads take credit from it.

‘I’ll take the positives out of it - they’re disappointed they only drew, which speaks volumes. It says a lot if you’re coming to Brixham and going away disappointed with a draw.’

Before the game, Brixham had not dropped points at home since April. Spurs have been excellent on the road lately, with two wins and a valiant draw from their last three trips.

‘[We are] quite a young, naive side and I think they [the players] probably don’t take the pressure at home as well as they do travelling away,’ Revell said. ‘I think they go away from home with less pressure, a little bit more confident and when you travel away, you’re a little bit closer-knit than you are when you’re home because the away trips are the ones where you all get up there early.

‘I’m working towards being good away and at home and, at the end of the day, if we are more one than the other, I’ll take it for the minute as long as one of them is good.’