BARNSTAPLE TOWN'S unbeaten start to the Toolstation Western League season crashed to a halt this afternoon.

Victory against Dawlish Town at Mill Road would have sent them top of the premier division table.

But they were beaten 4-1 by a team that had not previously won a game this season.

Barnstaple gave a debut to Harry Nodwell, of Dorchester Town, in midfield.

He lined up against Jamie Skinner, the former Barum man, who played a holding role in the Dawlish midfield.

The visitors had to wait until the 20th minute for their first chance, but it brought the opening goal. A curling delivery from the left by Dean Stevens was put in at the back post by Dave Worthington.

Four minutes later, Barnstaple went agonisingly close to equalising.

A poor defensive header saw the ball drop at the feet of Ryan Turner on the edge of the area. The striker cracked a shot past goalkeeper Luke Purnell but it rebounded back off the post.

That was to be the closest Barnstaple would come to scoring until Ricky Marinaro converted a late penalty.

By then they were 4-0 down, with two more goals coming before half time.

Referee Scott Taylor spotted a foul when Stevens launched another cross into the box and awarded Dawlish a 34th-minute penalty. Stevens drilled the spot kick under the diving Jamie Pow.

Dawlish's third goal came three minutes before half time when Gary Fisher was left all on his own to score at the second attempt after Pow had blocked his initial shot.

Any hopes of a second-half revival from Barnstaple were dashed four minutes into the second half when the ball was thumped forward and Liam McAuley outpaced Harry Montacute and dinked the ball past Pow to make it 4-0.

Marinaro scored in the last minute, after Billy Hopcroft had won a penalty, but Barnstaple were already well beaten and drop one place to sixth in the table.

Barnstaple Town: Jamie Pow, Harry Montacute, Kevin Darch, Paul Quinn, Ross Jones (Andrew Rogers ht), George Swain (Adam Bilcock ht), Harry Nodwell, Ricky Marinaro, Stan Paxton, Billy Hopcroft, Ryan Turner.

Dawlish Town: Luke Purnell, Kris Davis (Lee Fenner 87), Joe Long, Owen Williams, Craig Fenner (Mark Forrester 75), Reece Moseley, Gary Fisher, Jamie Skinner, Dave Worthington (Rob Hemming 80), Dean Stevens, Liam McAuley.