Sidmouth Town 0, Exmouth Town 1

Playing on a superb pitch, prepared as always by Ken Mortimore, Sidmouth entertained the league leaders Exmouth Town, writes Paddy Thomas.

Having run them close twice already this season, losing by the odd goal, Sidmouth fancied their chances. Exmouth started the game well and Luke Ashford, in the town goal, was certainly the busier keeper, making a couple of decent saves to keep Exmouth at bay.

With 20 minutes gone, after an altercation on the far touchline, the referee decided that he had no choice but to send Mark Badcock from the field of play. Exmouth dominated possession until the half time break, although they never breached the Vikings’ back three who were marshalled superbly by Wes Tarr.

The second half was even for 20 minutes with Ashford looking as though it was going to take an extraordinary piece of skill to beat him. But a hotly disputed penalty decided the contest and, although the Vikings continued to press for an equaliser, they were unsettled by the referee’s decision. It was too much for Darren Thomas who received a second yellow for a lunge on Exmouth’s captain, so Town finished the match with nine men.

From a personal point of view, I feel for all the lads. They ran their socks off and to concede a penalty that not one of Exmouth’s players even appealed for was gutting. Luke Ashford was outstanding in goal. To hear Exmouth’s management and players say ‘Thank God we don’t play you every week’ was testament to the players’ efforts.

that was cruelly overshadowed by the man in black.

we have no first team fixture this saturday the reserves are home to chard town 2.15 k.o