ADAM Fricker felt his side were excellent as they put Odd Down (Bath) to the sword in the Les Phillips Cup, winning 5-1.

A brace each for Mark Salter and Ed Butcher saw the Bees to a 4-0 lead after 36 minutes.

The home side pulled a goal back through Simon Gilbert midway through the second half before Braeden Symes had the last laugh as he headed in a corner with four minutes to go for the away side.

Speaking after the game, Fricker told Echosport: “I wouldn’t say it was a game that we absolutely battered them. We knew we had a gameplan. We knew they were a good, attacking side but defensively we knew they were there to be got at.

“We didn’t allow them to have any space and Mark Salter and Ed Butcher took their chances when they came.

“We were clinical. A lot of teams have done that to us this season and the lads did everything we asked of them.”

The visitors were in high spirits going into the cup game having secured a 3-1 win in the league over Hallen last weekend.

And they started brightly here, taking the lead after just three minutes.

Butcher opened the scoring, reacting well to Mark Salter’s initial effort, which was well saved by the Odd Down keeper, to tap in from six yards.

He doubled their advantage seven minutes later. Butcher picked the ball up on the right and cut inside past the full-back.

He then found some space to cannon in an effort from 25 yards.

The third goal came from a penalty miss after an Andy Martin corner was handled on the line. After the spot-kick was saved, Salter was on hand to tuck away the rebound and make it three.

He then put the game to bed nine minutes before the break. The hosts lost the ball on the halfway line and it fell to Salter, who spotted the keeper off his line and chipped in from distance.

The Bees played containing football in the second half and it allowed the hosts to get a small consolatory goal back through Gilbert.

But Symes was on hand to round off the scoring late on with a header and send his side through to the next round where they will face a trip to Willand Rovers.

Fricker added: “It’s two wins out of two and hopefully that will breed some confidence. There won’t be many sides that go up there and score five.”

Bees: Hutchings, Hill, Barrett, Hayter, Martin, Spurway, Peach, Symes, Haines, Butcher (Mann 77), Salter. Sub not used: Fricker