AN emphatic first half put the season opener to bed for Newton Abbot Spurs.

Indecision from both the Bovey Tracey goalkeeper and the match officials aided Spurs at The Rec with an advantage of three goals and one man a comfortable one at the break.

Toby Pullman opened the scoring for the home side with relative ease. Bovey shot-stopper Rhys Williams came out to the ball, kneed it without any real intention and then Pullman proceeded to find the empty net.

After a couple of dangerous corners, it was third time lucky for Marc Revell’s side, the short option bearing fruit. Pullman provided an option short, swung in the ball and added to his goal with an assist for Callum Noyce, who headed between the legs of the Bovey number one.

The ever-dangerous Lewis Perring was the most threatening player for the visitors and after he fired a shot inches over at 2-0, he appeared to pick up an injury in the process. He battled to carry on but eventually became the first of two Bovey players substituted before the break due to injury.

Talking of the half-time break and as it edged ever closer, the controversy arrived. Pullman made it 3-0 off the inside of the post but not before the linesman raised his flag. It looked offside and it looked as if the assistant was signalling for that, but the referee went over to consult with him and then gave the goal.

Bovey weren’t best pleased and understandably so, but the man with the whistle had no interest in listening to their complaints. Centre-back Mike Humphreys receives two yellow cards in a matter of seconds for his protestations, making an already troublesome situation worse.

It wasn’t the most eventful of second halves as Spurs had no need for urgency and Bovey’s numerical disadvantage made it even harder to create anything in the final third.

Both teams used their respective bunches and sent on some substitutes after the break to freshen things up.

One of the only chances of note in this half came courtesy of another Williams mistake. Whilst making the selection between using his feet and his hands, Williams was swamped by Noyce and the Spurs man doubled his tally for the evening and the new season with ease.

4-0 was the score line when the referee blew the whistle for the final time with Pullman and Noyce notching two goals each.

A combination of injuries, mistakes and controversy hampered Bovey Tracey in the first game of this South West Peninsula League Premier East season.

Tony Radford’s men will look to bounce back on August 10 away at Axminster Town whilst Spurs can make it two wins from two on the same day, as they go on the road against Elburton Villa.