Ottery St Mary have a busy few games ahead, playing three times over the coming five days.

The Otters make the short trip tomorrow (Saturday) to Lympstone to play their penultimate Macron League Division Three game and then bring the curtain down on the league campaign on Monday night with a visit to University.

They are straight back in action next Wednesday evening (May 16) when they will meet either Chard or Heavitree in the semi-final of the Grandisson Cup. The Otters were in action on Monday of this week when, at a sun-baked Washbrook Meadow they were 1-0 winners over Tedburn St Mary. The game might have had just the one goal – a penalty tucked away by leading scorer Corey Ringer for his 22nd goal of the season – but it had plenty of drama, particularly with the award of a late penalty to the visitors. Hugh Court pointed out to the official that the penalty was about to be taken from the wrong place and the match official agreed. The penalty- taker spoke out of turn to the referee and was promptly sin-binned leaving a teammate to take over penalty-taking duties and he stepped up and promptly fired wide of the goal!

Otters boss Dave Fairweather said: “We were not at our best, but we did enough to bank the points.”

With regard to the final two league games, the Otters boss says: “We are at bare bones for the final two league games, but I’d hope to be back nearer full-strength for the Wednesday night cup tie. Whoever we play (Chard and Heavitree play their quarter-final this weekend), it will be a big test for us, but not one we should shy away from.”

The Otters boss is also keen, despite lacking numbers for the two games, to end the league season on a high. He says: “It’s so important we end the campaign well. I am seriously hoping that, if we can win the last two and wrap up a sixth place finish, the league may look favourably on us with regard to any divisional changes that they feel necessary for next season. We want to be playing as high as we can up the Devon and Exeter league and I’d be very happy if we were a Division Two side next season.”