On a glorious sunny day with unseasonally high temperatures Sidmouth set off for league high flyers Taunton Vale.

On a glorious sunny day with unseasonally high temperatures Sidmouth set off for league high flyers Taunton Vale. Still looking to register their first points of the season, Sidmouth were keen to put together an improved team performance from the disappointing defeat the previous week. In what turned out to be a long, hot and tough game which Taunton, in fairness, dominated, there were encouraging signs of a more gutsy and gritty determination shown by the Sidmothians. Taunton as usual were a well-organised and athletic side who, having prospered in the close season with some good new signings, moved the ball with pace and confidence that exploited Sidmouth's early nervousness. The first half was spent mostly defending with the odd foray into the Taunton half and, despite resolute defending from Gannon, Brown, Jarrett and Brown, the pressure finally told with a couple of strikes before half time. Identifying a need to take the game to Taunton and be more decisive in the tackle zone, Sidmouth started brightly in the second half and excellent interplay between Mapson, Devine and Pidgeon down the right hand channel created a couple of gilt edged chances which weren't taken. Taunton responded with a further two strikes, one of which left keeper Hill stranded on his line, unable to pick the trajectory of the ball against the glare of the burning sun! Once again fine performances from Fitzgerald and Mapson meant positives could be taken from the game. Overall it was the work ethic of the majority of the team that impressed and if this can be taken into this Saturday's fixture against Truro then grinding out a win is a distinct possibility.