Ottery bag Town scalp

EXMOUTH Town boss Chris Dowling was reported as saying that his rapidly-improving side might well face their hardest game for some time when meeting Peninsula League Eastern Division basement dwellers Ottery St Mary on their own patch, and he was proved right.With three ex-Ottery players in the Exmouth team, and some online chat forum 'winding up' going on during the week, the Washbrook Meadows outfit were really up for the game. Ottery's club chairman Greg Layzell said: "We have a very young side and it has taken a while for them to find their feet. but they are getting better each week and coming together as a team now. I am sure, if we can keep them together and just add a few older heads, they will fare much better next season." After back to back wins against two of the Division's top five sides, Exmouth Town slipped to a disappointing defeat, Ottery being all over them in the first half. It was 0-0 at half time, Exmouth coming out the stronger after the break, but a penalty earned by Ottery was converted by Jack Barnden. Exmouth pushed again but, in the later stages, seemed to flag against the youthful Otters. Nick Searle made a run down the left and floated in a cross which, at the last minute dipped in to the top left hand corner of the net for a 2-0 advantage. Layzell added: "There was a great atmosphere at the club that evening. And we had a lot of support during the match as we had earlier hosted a vice-presidents' lunch ." With manager Tim Mills away, the Otters were led to victory by Gary Watson who, strangely, was in charge when they beat Axminster! Ottery are home to Appledore tomorrow, and have five games in hand over some of their league rivals.l The Peninsula League ground-hop matches start on Good Friday with Exmouth Town's match against Alphington. In excess of 400 people are expected to descend on the ground for the game.