Ottery St Mary centre forward Corey Ringer netted for the first time in eight outings to guide the Otters to a third clean sheet in four matches as they defeated Clyst Valley Reserves 1-0 at Washbrook Meadow.

Ringer, taking his tally to 10 for the season, struck in the first half with a well timed run to break the visiting off-side trap before running on and cooly slotting the ball past the advancing goal keeper.

That proved to be the only goal of the game, but don’t be fooled by the score line - this contest was not close in any shape or form as the Otters dominated from first minute to last and, even as the match entered its closing stages, there was no serious threat to the Hugh Court goal as the Otters closed the game out in real comfort.

Ottery boss Dave Fairweather said: “It was comfortably our most complete performance of the season so far.

“Conditions were on the heavy side, but that is to be expected and the most pleasing thing for me was that there seemed to be a genuine and collective effort from the players to put right what had been so terribly wrong in our previous meeting with the same opposition [three weeks before the Otters won 4-3 at Clyst Valley].

The Otters boss continued: “It does show what this team can do if they all pull in the same direction.

“There’s little doubt that playing with a three in front of goalkeeper Hugh is the answer. It’s tough trying to play ‘out from the back’ at this level, but I do like my teams to pass the ball and, even though the ground got heavier as the game wore on, they did that very well.”

The win, a sixth of the league season for the Otters, sees them up to eighth in the table and they still have a full half of the Macron League Division Three campaign to play.

The last time the Otters suffered a defeat was back on December 2, when they went down 5-1 at local rivals Tipton St John in an East Devon derby.

There’s another East Devon derby for the Otters to play this coming Saturday (February 10) when Dave Fairweather takes his side to Otterton (3pm).

Having already lost three derby games this season – home and away against Tipton St John and beaten 2-1 at Washbrook Meadow by Otterton in late November, the Otters have plenty of motivation to win this latest game and continue their march towards a top three finish which would see them playing in the third tier of Macron Devon and Exeter League football next season.

Ottery boss Fairweather says of the Otterton game: “We owe them one. That first meeting was at the ‘wrong time’ for us in terms of the league campaign. We played poorly on that occassion and go into this game in a much better shape.

“Our squad is now stronger and we have great competiion for places.

“The good thing, from my point of view, is that all the lads are chomping at the bit to play and that’s good for morale and good for the team.”

Dan Jewell is again missing and Jordan Wilkinson picked up a knock against Clyst Valley and so will sit this game out.