Stoke Gabriel have been involved in games this season which could be seen to be a worthy advert for the Peninsula League. This was not one of those games. A bumpy pitch put paid to any real chance of flowing football and while Stoke did look the better organised of the two sides on show this will undoubtedly be seen as one of those games where keeping a clean sheet and grinding out a result will be seen as the most important features of their performance. Stoke started the brighter but the first real chance fell to the home side when debutant Richard Hancox was caught in possession by Adam Faye in the left channel only for the striker to run on and shoot across both Mark Coombe and the far post. On 24 minutes the only goal of the game arrived when Craig Duff's defence splitting pass saw Ty Hawken run on and shoot across Ian Jones in the hosts goal and into the far corner of the net. After this Liam Collings received a through ball from Dave Worthington but his clinical two touch finish from 10 yards was spoiled by the linesman's flag and half time arrived. The second period saw even less goalmouth action with a Jones save down low to his left from a Critchlow shot being the only real Stoke chance and a goalmouth scramble during which Coombe saved with his legs and the ensuing shot was cleared from the six yard box being the best the Teigns could offer. A controversial incident arrived on 65 minutes when the Teigns broke from a Stoke corner, Sam Green challenged Terry Breslan and after waving away appeals for a foul, the ref consulted his flagging assistant and following consultation Armstrong was cautioned amidst appeals for a red card from the home side. Whether that would have made any difference to the outcome no-one will ever know. Stoke will be happy they kept a clean sheet, that Coombe only had one save to make and that they got the three points. The purists will have to wait for another day.