EXPECT to be entertained was the message from Barry Paine ahead of the Torridge Cup clash with Boca Seniors.

And the Torridgeside manager was not wrong.

Nine goals and 120 minutes of all-out attack provided plenty to keep supporters engrossed at Donnacroft on Sunday.

In the end, a double from Matt Deakin in the second half of extra time secured a 6-3 win for Boca and a place in the quarter-finals.

But the hosts will take heart from a performance that shows they are not too far behind the North Devon League champions.

Following their 4-4 draw in the premier division in September, the sides went hammer and tongs again, with three goals in the first 17 minutes setting the tone.

Boca led after five minutes when Scott Sharp crossed and the unmarked Giles Daniel pounced at the far post.

Back came Torridgeside as Ian Cockwill whipped over a free kick and Nathan Walter forced in the equaliser.

Cockwill's dead-ball deliveries continued to cause mayhem and on three further occasions in the first half they begged for a finishing touch.

Deakin then crashed a shot against the bar before Marc Bettiss, with an instinctive flick of the right boot, put the hosts 2-1 up.

As play tore from one end to the other, Cory Hynd had a shot beaten away by Darren Babb and Kurt Bayliss could only fire straight at Matt Bolton.

Frustrated after talking himself into a yellow card, Sharp let his feet do the talking moments later with a blistering burst of pace. His cross was turned in by Tom Marsh to make it 2-2.

There was still time before the break for Sharp to balloon a great chance off target and for Bolton to scramble out a Jack Jenkins free kick with Boca insisting it had crossed the line.

Only a superbly-timed tackle from Rob Paton on Kyle Paine stopped the pacey Torridgeside striker breaking clear early in the second half.

And when he did escape the clutches of the visiting defence, Paine could only guide a side-footed shot over the bar.

Torridgeside looked set to pay for that miss when Sharp pounced on a poor goal kick from Bolton, setting up Marsh to make it 3-2 with ten minutes left.

Yet they responded almost instantly, Paine working the opening with fast feet and Bettiss giving Babb no chance with a thumping header.

If Bolton, the stand-in goalkeeper, was at fault for Boca's third goal, he made amends in injury time by sticking out a boot to deny Deakin.

Having used all their substitutes, Torridgeside were virtually reduced to ten men with the injured Cockwill forced to hobble through extra time.

Without a game the previous day, Boca had the fresher legs and it showed.

Bettiss spurned the chance of a hat-trick when he shot wide and after that Darren Todd's team took control.

Substitute Liam Monsell made an instant impact by setting up Sharp to gleefully put his team in front.

Then Deakin exposed a weary defence with two late goals to give the scoreline a lopsided look.

It promises to be a testing and trophy-laden end to the season for Bideford reserves.

The Robins won 6-3 at Torrington to reach the last eight of the Torridge Cup – a sixth cup quarter-final place of the season for the North Devon League senior division leaders.

Nathan Bate scored a hat-trick against his former club, while James Rees, Ben Ford and an own goal completed the scoring.

Barnstaple Town reached the last eight of the Torridge Cup with a 4-0 win over Halwill thanks to Adam Baxter, Billy Tucker, Kevin Darch and Ricky Marinaro.