Top of the table Cullompton went to bottom-team Okehampton and thrashed them to make it six wins on the trot

Cullompton Rangers’ manager Richard Pears has set his target: promotion to the Western League. And their brilliant 14-0 win against Okehampton Argyle on Saturday showed they mean business in the Premier East of the South West Peninsula League this season.

Top of the table Cullompton went to bottom-team Okehampton and thrashed them to make it six wins on the trot – in the league, League Cup, and Devon Bowl – and stretch their unbeaten run to nine since they were knocked out of the FA Vase at Newquay on September 12.

In the league they have 11 wins from their 12 games so far – and are six points clear of second-placed Ilminster Town. Fair to say, it’s not going too bad at Speeds Meadow then.

Talking after the big win, Pears said: “The lads were absolutely brilliant. The football they are playing is the best football I have seen since being at Cullompton.”

There was a double hat-trick for Lloyd White, three goals for Cameron Webb, twos for Callum Chivers and Josh Cole, and one for Lucas White. It was some show!

Pears said: “Everybody is working really, really hard and we are keeping our feet on the ground. But some of the goals we scored yesterday were just brilliant team goals. Lads just really playing good football and wanting to set their mate up to score a goal.

“It’s funny, my physio said after the game, ‘when you win 14-1 you can get a bit arrogant with it’ – but we were so professional and respectful to Okehampton, but we were ruthless as well.

“We didn’t get sloppy, we didn’t try to overplay – when you are winning you can get into bad habits, when you are winning by big margins like that, but the lads were fantastic.”

Pears, 50, a former Exeter City player who has managed teams throughout the South West, had a two-year spell as the boss of his childhood club Cullompton in 2008-2010 – but returned in November 2024 when Steve Orchard left for a role at Tiverton Town.

Since then Pears has been working hard to turn an established SWPL team into one that is now ambitious and ready to take that next step.

He said: “We got to the League Cup final in my first year and we finished fourth. Last year we finished third and we got into the semi-finals of the League Cup – and this year we have planned to give it a right go.”

The chairman at Cullompton is the former Wellington manager Clive Jones; the commercial manager is Tiverton legend Martyn Rogers. That’s a lot of experience in the club that Pears can also call on.

Pears said: “The club has got aspirations that they want to be in the Western League and when you have got Clive Jones and Martyn Rogers as part of the club, when you have those two guys in the background, they give me a lot of support. I can speak to both of them and they have been brilliant with me.

“I think it has helped that we have kept the majority of the squad since I have been here. It has been good so far. I took a risk in pre-season, I had Weston-super-Mare, Torquay, Sidmouth, Exmouth, Willand – and we didn’t get near the goal in six games in pre-season. I wanted them to get used to seeing what other good teams are like, and try to raise our standards and expectations. The lads took that on board and they have been absolutely fantastic.

“I think we have got a team that is developing – but we also know we have got loads of tough games coming up and there is still a lot to play for.

“We don’t have a very big budget and we pay minimal expenses but I think all the players are there for the right reasons. They want to develop their football, they want to enjoy their weekends.”

Next for Cullompton is a Premier East home game against Torrington on Saturday. As Pears says, there is a long way to go yet – but Cullompton do seem to be moving in the right direction... Upwards.