Ottery St Mary, who have a Thursday night home meeting with Feniton Reserves in a Grandisson Cup tie (7.30pm), were not in Macron League action last weekend, but their bid to lift the Division Three title received a huge boost.
The boost comes courtesy of defeats for a number of their rivals for the top honour and a promotion berth.
The biggest surprise result was arguably one suffered by the same University team that had beaten the Otters seven days before!
The students were beaten 3-2 at Otterton while, at another East Devon venue, the Furzebrake home of Beer Albion, East Budleigh went down 1-0.
The other Division Three matches that were played saw Tedburn St Mary and Axmouth United draw 1-1; Clyst Valley Reserves defeated North Tawton 6-1 and Lympstone beat Newton St Cyres 4-2.
The Otters run-in certainly confirms they have their destiny very much ‘in their own hands’ for their final six matches are home and away against three of their rivals for the top divisional honour!
The Division Three table after the March 16 matches
P W D L F A Pts
Ottery St Mary 20 15 0 5 89 33 45
East Budleigh 21 14 0 7 60 45 42
University of Exeter 19 13 2 4 80 29 41 Sandford 23 13 0 10 91 53 39
Winchester 18 12 2 4 60 36 38
Newton St Cyres 21 10 3 8 60 50 33
Beer Albion 20 9 4 7 46 45 31
Lympstone 15 9 2 4 42 26 29
Otterton 20 9 1 10 42 43 28
Tedburn St Mary 21 6 5 10 50 63 23
Axmouth United 23 6 5 12 32 83 23
Clyst Valley 19 5 5 9 41 50 20
Budleigh Salterton* 24 5 3 16 42 81 17
North Tawton 22 1 0 21 18 116 3
Remaining games for the title contenders
OTTERY ST MARY (6 left)
March 23 H Sandford
March 30 A Sandford
Apr 13 H Lympstone
Apr 20 A Winchester
Apr 29 H Winchester
May 4 A Lympstone
UNIVERSITY (7 left)
March 23 A Winchester
Apr 29 A Clyst Valley
May 1 A Tedburn St Mary
May 4 A North Tawton
May 6 H Clyst Valley
May 8 H Tedburn St Mary
May 11 A Beer Albion
EAST BUDLEIGH (5 left)
March 23 A Lympstone
March 30 A Newton St Cyres
Apr 13 H Clyst Valley
Apr 20 H Budleigh
Apr 27 H Tedburn St Mary
WINCHESTER (8 left)
Mar 23 H University
Mar 30 A Beer Albion
Apr 6 A Clyst Valley
Apr13 A Newton St Cyres
Apr 20 H Ottery St Mary
Apr 27 H Lympstone
Apr 29 A Ottery St Mary
(To be arranged A v Sandford)
LYMPSTONE (11 left)
March 23 H Budleigh Salterton
March 30 H Axmouth United
Apr 6 A North Tawton
Apr 13 A Ottery St Mary
Apr 17 A Clyst Valley
Apr 20 H Tedburn St Mary
Apr 22 H Beer Albion
Apr 27 A Winchester
May 1 A Otterton
May 4 H Ottery St Mary
May 11 H North Tawton
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here