Sidmouth Under 16s continued their flying start with a sound victory in the League Cup, beating Pinhoe 6-1.

Notoriously slow at the start of the season, the team have been out of character taking great form from pre-season friendlies into the league.

The four friendlies saw 26 Sidmouth goals whilst conceding just five, including a 6-2 victory over North Devon champions Bideford. A new formation, 12-goal Freddie King in outstanding form and three new players for this year, Tim Jones, Mark Pearse and returning keeper Will Down, have given the team an edge and every hope for a push for titles.

The biggest test however, was the first league match on Tuesday evening against former league champions Alphington. In a game that would give Sidmouth a real measure of their progress and potential, the team featured strongly in a face paced, athletic and fiercely competitive match. Ten minutes from time Sidmouth took the lead through King, creating a storm of pressure from Alphington on the Sidmouth goal. With the team hanging on and deep into injury time King broke to deliver an outrageous yet precision ‘rabona’ cross for Jonny Dunn to send the support wild with a drilled header from the penalty spot; broad agreement as the best youth goal those in attendance had seen.

So Sidmouth set the early pace in the League and have buried some demons, breaking through to the second round of the League Cup for the first time in four years.