Sidmouth Town served up a stunning hour of football as they turned round a 3-0 deficit after 30 minutes to win 6-3 in an extraordinary South West Peninsula League Premier East floodlit game at Cullompton Rangers on Tuesday night.

The Vikings made a poor start and were two down inside 12 minutes and 3-0 down just before the half hour mark - and, at this stage of the contest, one third through, had also seen Ben Clay bag a yellow card.

At this stage of the game Town boss Danny Burwood would probably have been hoping he could get the sides in at the break, reorganise, and go again in the second half.

However, in a flash the whole contest was turned upside down!

The lively Lukie White scored with what was Town’s first shot on target and, moments later Ferenc Bodor made it 3-2 with a shot from a ridiculous angle that beat everybody in a crowded area, including home goalkeeper Joe Moore.

The Vikings levelled early in the second half and again White was involved this time with a run across the box before laying it off to a team mate who drilled his shot goalward and it was deflected for a corner.

The set piece was delivered into a good area and was met by a rising Tom Diamond and his header ended up in the back of the Cully net, albeit via someone’s trailing leg!

Once level, with White showing a great willingness to track back and Ethan Slater a growing influence on proceedings, Town went in search of a fourth goal and it came from Will Jenkins with a header that bounced down and span off the surface before going up and over a ‘diving’ home glovesman.

Things got even better for Town when centre forward Scott Hughes went on a mazy run and, when he got to the edge of the area he rifled the ball home.

That left Town 5-3 up with 11 minutes remaining – 50 minutes earlier they had been 3-0 down!

There was still time for White to cause more problems and, when the home custodian tried to shepherd the ball into touch, White robbed him of the ball – quite legally – but was promptly hauled down – the glovesman saw red to compound his miserable night and White slammed the spot kick beyond the stand-in glovesman to complete the scoring.

This was an incredible game of football. On the half hour, even the most ardent Town follower must have been wishing they’d rather be elsewhere.

Then White weaves a little piece of magic, Bodor follows suit and 0-3, become 2-3 in the blink of an eye – and into the second half where it was literally ‘all Town’ and the celebrations amongst the travelling fans had begun well before the final whistle after an extraordinary turnaround.

As for a man of the Match - whilst there were plenty of contenders, for this reporters money, it has to be Tom Diamond who sparkled all night long under the Cullompton Rangers floodlights.

Town are back in action on Saturday when they host Cheddar in an FA Vase tie at Manstone Lane (3pm).