BARNSTAPLE TOWN'S first league defeat of the season will be put down to experience.

Following two 1-0 away wins, Barnstaple were outplayed by Dawlish Town at Mill Road on Saturday.

They lost 4-1 to a team that had not previously won a game this season, losing their 100 per cent league record in the process.

While Barnstaple were unable to find a way through the Dawlish defence, the visitors' runners found it all too easy to evade the home defenders.

Attempts to alter the game plan proved fruitless and that, according to Owen Pickard, the manager, is a product of having a team of which nine could be described as youngsters.

"We have got a very young side, you can't teach experience, you just gain it from playing over the years," he said.

"We tried to change it, but when you lack experienced players you don't have the knowledge to adapt to how the opposition is playing. It helps if you have got someone who can organise, like Danny Harris."

The former Bideford defender was this week waiting for a diagnosis on his knee injury.

In his absence, Kevin Darch lined up at sweeper against Dawlish. Half an hour in, he was in his usual position of left back as Barnstaple, 1-0 down, switched to a back four. It did not work. Within a minute it was 2-0, by half time a third had gone in and, four minutes into the second half, it was all over at 4-0.

Aside from Ryan Turner's first-half shot that pinged off a post, Barnstaple failed to trouble a Dawlish defence guarded superbly by Jamie Skinner, their former midfielder.

Winning possession and keeping it with simple passes, Skinner showed what Barnstaple were missing as their midfield failed to make any sort of impression.

Dawlish's first opportunity brought the opening goal in the 20th minute, Dave Worthington appearing at the far post to convert Dean Stevens's cross from the left.

Another Stevens cross led to the second goal. Referee Scott Taylor spotted a foul in an almost deserted penalty area and Stevens drilled the spot kick under goalkeeper Jamie Pow.

Reece Moseley was given all the time and space he needed to have two goes at scoring the third three minutes before half time. The midfielder's first shot was blocked by Pow's feet but he fired the second attempt into the roof of the net.

Any hopes the home fans in a crowd of 133 had of a second-half revival were gone four minutes after the break when Liam McAuley, the lone Dawlish striker, outpaced Paul Quinn and subtly flicked the ball past Pow.

Billy Hopcroft, in his first game after putting his name on a contract with Barnstaple, had been anonymous until he won a penalty two minutes from time. Ricky Marinaro blasted it through goalkeeper Luke Purnell.

"We had a great crowd and a good opportunity to go top of the league," said Pickard. "But it was an awful performance by the standards we have set, we have gone from one extreme to the other. The players were devastated and that's what we want them to feel like."