STOKE Gabriel & Torbay Police snatched a draw from the jaws of defeat in their latest Walter C Parson SW Peninsula League outing.

Simmons Park was their destination, the home of Okehampton Argyle and it was the hosts who led heading into the final moments of the clash.

Richard Washburn was in charge for the first time of an Argyle side who have gone through a lot of change and turmoil in the last few months.

Cole Harford put Stoke ahead but a Sean Ayre free-kick and a Steve Goss volley flipped the script after the break. Okey looked set to win for the first time on the field since they overcame Teignmouth AFC in a nine-goal thriller in the League Cup back in mid-December.

Jordan Thomas had other ideas for the visitors though, nodding past Jack Arthur from an in-swinging corner to rescue Stoke a point, they themselves having experienced a very different run of form. After a slow start to the season, the South Hams side went on a 12-game unbeaten streak and have put paid to the re-emergence of a rough patch with this draw.

The midweek action won’t affect their standings in the division and so Stoke know they’ll head into the weekend in fifth, on 44 points, with games in hand on three of the four teams above them.

Elsewhere in the Peninsula League, Newton Abbot Spurs made it six wins on the spin in the and kept a fourth clean sheet in five in all competitions.

Elburton Villa were the visitors at The Rec and despite Spurs boss Marc Revell expecting them to “challenge at the top with their games in hand”, there was a major gulf of class on display as the title race hots up even further.

Toby Pullman added another two to his tally for the season with the in-form Tyler Joint and midfielder Mason Dolman-Zuccarro also finding the back of the net in this 4-0 success.

Pullman and Joint had Spurs in the ascendancy and then controversy arose on the brink of half-time with the ref at the heart of it once again. Revell commented that he has “nothing but respect” for officials but with the Elburton shot-stopper scything down Pullman who had knocked the ball beyond him, the yellow card that followed raised eyebrows all around The Rec with it surely being a red card offence.

Whether this decision and others made in the game were correct or not proved irrelevant with Dolman-Zuccarro scoring from the resulting set-piece and Pullman adding a second from the halfway line in the dying embers to secure another success for Spurs.

Riley Weedon, Fred Parsons and Kieran Coombs were on target for Bridport FC as they beat Teignmouth AFC 3-1 at Speeds Meadow.

Torridgeside AFC won 4-1 at Bishops Lydeard, Crediton United edged out Honiton Town in a five-goal thriller and Middlezoy Rovers condemned Axminster Town to another heavy defeat, winning 5-0 at the Ethan Berry Pavilion.

Next up for Stoke is a visit to fellow high-flyers Bridport FC on Saturday, 22. Spurs and Cullompton Rangers both had midweek games that could have shifted the landscape but this quartet along with leaders Sidmouth Town are the ones in the mix at the top.