LYME Regis boss Gerard Hitchcock questioned whether it would be the Seasiders’ day before watching his side pull off a late 3-2 East Devon Senior Cup victory over a battling Lympstone at Davey Fort.

After missing a hatful of chances, Hitchcock’s men twice took the lead through Cody Bowditch and Joe Bond but were pegged back to 2-2 – latterly when towering centre-half Damien Cowell scored a thumping header.

But Cowell’s own-goal in stoppage-time proved the difference, despite Lyme’s Kingsley Wellman clearing a last-gasp effort off the line.

Hitchcock said: “It was a difficult game because they were a very big side. It’s probably one of the biggest back fours I’ve ever played against – they were big boys.

“We did struggle with set-pieces into the box where they scored both their goals and our small pitch suited them because they could get in amongst us and use their physicality. It caused us a few problems.

“We should’ve been four or 5-0 up at half-time. It was one of those days where it wasn’t happening in front of goal for us.

“I’m happy we’ve come out the right end of it because last year in the cup we lost to a team in the league below and it was one of our worst performances – 2-0 at home to Alphington.

“You’re thinking ‘is this going to be one of those days?’ when they made it 1-1, but (we’re) happy to get the win and we’ll just carry on.

“It was a hard-fought game. We’re happy with the result, not so much with the performance.”