Last weekend was a special one for the footballers - male and female - of Ottery St Mary.
The men’s team chalked up a 10th straight Macron League Division Three victory with a 4-0 Washbrook Meadow success against North Tawton, but that terrific success was surely outdone by a member of the Ottery ladies’ team scoring 11 - yes eleven - goals in a single game as the Robinettes travelled to Cullompton Rangers where they recorded a 14-0 win - and that represents the team’s biggest win since they were formed three seasons ago.
Meg Williams was the player in question and her 11 goals in Mid Devon means that she is now averaging a hat-trick every time she plays!
Meg has played nine games so far this season and has now scored 29 goals, which equates to an average of 3.22 goals per game!
The other three Otterettes goals at Cullompton were scored by Georgia Baker, Karin Underwood and Natalie Parkhouse.
The ladies are in derby action on Sunday (January 20) when they make the short trip to Budleigh Salterton.
The Ottery men chalked up that 10th straight success - and moved five points clear at the top of the Macron League Division Three table - thanks to a hat-trick from Corey Ringer and one from Jordan Wilkinson.
So, 10 straight wins and a happy Otters boss? No! He explained saying: “Look, of course I am delighted that we won a 10th straight game, but, in the hope of not being seen as a hard ‘task master’, it has to be said that our all-round display did smack of a little complacency. That said, given we beat them [North Tawton] 10-0 earlier in the campaign, the complacency thing is very understandable. But, for me, the big thing was post match and the downbeat mood in the dressing room. That came from the players who, to a man, clearly felt they had underperformed on the day.”
He continued: “I was really pleased to hear all the lads in agreement that what they had just served up had fallen below what they had come to expect from themselves and that speaks volumes for the way the team - and indeed the wider squad - are now going about our business.”
Tomorrow (Saturday), the Otters will seek an 11th straight win when they host Axmouth United at Washbrook Meadow (3pm).
Fairweather says: “There’s no doubt we will need to be more focussed than we were last Saturday. That said, I am sure the lads know what is at stake from now on. If they keep winning matches then we will finish the season in one of those coveted top three slots.”
Ottery will be without the considerable services of Ben Rushden for the next four to six weeks after he suffered a hamstring injury last Saturday. Other than that, the Ottery boss has a full squad to pick from and he says: “We will miss Ben, for sure, but as I always say, one players’ absence is a big opportunity for someone else to stake a claim.”
? There’s home Sunday action for the Ottery U18s, who host Newton Abbot Spurs (2pm)
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