The second meeting in three weeks between Sidmouth Town Reserves and University fourths ended with the students victorious in a game that the Vikings second string should have won.

The opening exchanges saw Town the more likely to open the scoring. They enjoyed the lions share of possession, but created precious little in front of goal and, in the 20th minute, the students too the lead with the Vikings, uncharacteristically, conceding from a corner with a ‘free header’ seeing the ball in the back of the home net.

Minutes later the lead was doubled; another unchallenged header in the middle of the park fell to the students’ striker and he ran on, unchallenged, to plant the ball past Dec Lines in the Town goal.

At the other end the Vikings were not finding the final pass or failing to get on the end of some decent set-pieces and, when they did, the visiting ‘keeper found the ball kindly nestling in his borrowed gloves.

Minutes before the break Aidy Parr pulled one back, finishing a harder chance than had been previously missed, to send the Vikings into the break trailing by a single goal.

The second half produced enough chances for the Vikings to win a couple of games, but none were taken!

Free headers were missed, shots thumped off target and, to add to the home frustration, a number of what looked excellent shouts for penalties, were turned down! To compound the Vikings’ frustration, the visitors scored the only goal of second half with what proved to be a rare sortie into the home half!

Town boss Simon Hudson said: “The effort and commitment were, as always, there. However, it was a disjointed effort lacking in quality in the final third. The result leaves us some way off the target of promotion this season, though that may be academic as tonight the League seek to push through a motion to change to Step 7, which would banish second teams to two uncompetitive reserve divisions.”

Tomorrow (Saturday) the Town second string look to secure a season’s double over table-toppers Colyton who they beat 4-1 at Manstone Lane earlier in the season.