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