A round-up of the local football and rugby on the second Saturday of 2020.

Sidmouth Town slipped to the bottom of the South West Peninsula League, Premier Division East table after they were beaten 3-1 at Cullompton Rangers and the previous occupants of the bottom spot, Torrington, got a point from a 2-2 draw at Honiton Town.

Sidmouth Town Reserves were denied action by an unfit Manstone Lane surface but the third and fourth teams did get games in with the third team beating Sampford Peverell 5-2 and the fourth team banked a point from a 2-2 draw at Sandford seconds. There was no such joy for Ottery St Mary as both their first team and their Development XI lost. Seven days after beating Waldon Athletic 5-2 in South Devon, the Otters lost to the same opposition at home, going down 3-2 and the Development XI lost 2-0 in their Macron League game at Broadclyst.

Mixed results for Beer as the first team suffered a 2-1 defeat at Upottery, but the second team were 5-1 home winners over Clyst Valley.

In the South West Peninsula League, Premier Division East…

Axminster Town were denied a victory on their visit to Newton Abbot Spurs with the home side levelling late on in a contest that ended 2-2. Cameron Vere and Tom Richardson netted the Tigers the latter marking his first start for the Tigers after his recent move from Bridport Town. The draw also means that Town are still unbeaten since Josh Stunell took over sole management of the team following Jon Hurford's decision to step down a fortnight ago.

Honiton Town had an identical final score to the one that Axminster Town had, with the Hippos sharing four goals in their home meeting with basement side Torrington. Indeed, with Torrington departing Mountbatten Park with a point they were later to learn they had climbed off the foot of the table, a place taken by Sidmouth Town after their 3-1 defeat at Cullompton Rangers. Chris Long scored both the Hippos' goals.

After the matches on January 11, Honiton Town remain the highest placed team of the three East Devon sides playing in the South West Peninsula League Premier East, The Hippos sit 13th with 24 pints from 20 games. Axminster Town are two places below with 20 points having played a game more and Sidmouth Town are now rock bottom, but they do have games in hand on the teams immediately above them.

SWP League table (bottom eight) after the January 11 matches

13 Honiton Town 20 7 3 10 30 42 -12 24

14 Stoke Gabriel 25 7 1 17 41 89 -48 22

15 Axminster Town AFC 21 5 5 11 37 59 -22 20

16 Elmore 19 4 6 9 32 34 -2 18

17 Holsworthy 19 5 3 11 32 54 -22 18

18 Plymouth Marjons 24 4 3 17 31 80 -49 15

19 Torrington AFC 21 3 4 14 27 82 -55 13

20 Sidmouth Town 19 3 3 13 27 61 -34 12

In the Scott Richards Devon League North & East Division, Exmouth Town Reserves won 4-0 at Chudleigh Athletic while the Budleigh Salterton game at Bovey Tracey was postponed. In the South & West Division, Ottery St Mary saw their three match unbeaten run ended as they went down 3-2 at home to a Waldon Athletic side they beat 5-2 just seven days before in South Devon. The defeat leaves the Otters sitting second bottom, four points clear of basement side Paignton Villa who have played two more games that the Otters.

The Toolstation Western League…

Exmouth Town's 2-1 home win over Roman Glass St George; a sixth successive win and their 10th in 11 unbeaten games since their last defeat leaves them now just three points off the top two teams in the Toolstation Western League Premier Division.

What's more, with the top two not in league action - both had FA Vase ties on the second Saturday of 2020, both winning away, Parkway winning 1-0 at Woodbridge Town and Bradford Town winning 2-1 at Buckland Athletic, it had meant that a win on Tuesday night at Bridgwater Town would leave the top of the table with three teams sharing top spot!

However, Town are indeed meeting Bridgwater Town this coming Tuesday, but not in a league game as it has been changed so that the teams will now meet in a Les Phillips Cup quarter-final tie (7.45pm).

In the Macron Devon & Exeter League…

Upottery recorded the result of the day in the Premier Division as they ended what had been a recent fine run by Beer Albion, beating the Fishermen 2-1 at Glebe Park.

Colyton lost 3-1 at home to table-topping Okehampton Argyle and Seaton Town were beaten 5-1 at home by Chagford. Sidmouth Town Reserves had their top flight meeting with Lapford postponed; that one of a handful of matches that fell to the on-going wet weather.

In Division One, Tipton St John suffered a ninth defeat I n10 outings, beaten 5-0 at home by Bow AAC.

In Division Two, Beer Reserves are up to third after a 5-1 win over Clyst Valley, and there was a third win of the league season for Honiton Town Reserves as they recorded a splendid 4-1 success at Alphington Reserves. No such joy though for Otterton who went down 4-1 at Halwill while East Budleigh lost to the only team to sit above them in the table, Elmore, going down 3-1 to a side that beat them 4-1 at home just seven days before.

In Division Three, Exmouth Spartans suffered only their second defeat of the league season and their first at home, going down 6-1 to Halwill Reserves. Dunkeswell will have been boosted by that surprise score, though they were one of the matches postponed with their ground unfit for action in a scheduled meeting with Westexe Park Rangers. Axmouth United picked up a good three points with a 2-1 win at Lyme Regis Reserves, but Upottery Reserves went down again, suffering an eighth defeat in nine games, beaten 7-2 at University.

In Division Four, Millwey Rise were 1-0 winners at Central, Feniton Reserves won 3-1 at home to St Martins Reserves, but Cranbrook, seven days after hitting Culm United for 16 goals, went down 5-2 on their visit to Kentisbeare Reserves. Sidmouth Town thirds had a good day though as they beat Sampford Peverell 1st team 5-2.

In Division Five, Awliscombe beat East Budleigh Reserves 2-1, but there was yet another home postponement for Farway with their home pitch unfit for a match against Bravehearts. There was also a postponement for Exmouth Rovers, denied action at Amory Green Rovers opening to an unfit Tiverton playing surface.

In Division Six there were 4-0 home defeats for both Offwell Rangers, beaten by Bishops Blaize and Seaton Town Reserves, who were beaten by Chagford while Otterton Reserves were beaten 3-1 at home by Topsham Town Reserves.

In Division Seven, Lympstone Reserves were 5-0 winners over Priory while Sidmouth Town fourths got a welcome point in a 2-2 draw at Sandford seconds.

Last, but not least, in Division Eight, Ottery St Mary Development XI went down 2-0 at high-flying Broadclyst, Exmouth Town third were 4-1 winners at home to Dawlish United thirds and Millwey Rise Reserves banked a point from a 2-2 home draw with Amory Green Rovers Reserves.

RUGBY

Sidmouth suffered a seventh defeat in 15 Tribute South West One West outings, beaten 57-12 on their visit to a Hornets side that now share top spot as one of three team sat the summit! The others are Devonport Servic3es and Chew Valley.

Saltash sit seventh in the table, just 11 points behind the top three and a healthy 22 above second bottom Newent.

Honiton sit third bottom of the Western Counties West table after they were edged out by a single point in their home meeting with Wadebridge Camels who departed Allhallows with the points after a 26-25 success.

The two teams that sit below the Lacemen, Saltash and Wiveliscombe, both lost with Saltash beaten 36-10 at home by Teignmouth while Wiveliscombe went down 61-10 on their visit to St Austell.

Withycombe were given a second 'walkover win' of the Devon One season with Dartmouth unable to raise a XV for the game at Raleigh Park. Results elsewhere in the division leave Withy now 11 points clear of Tamar Saracens, who were 12-6 home winners over OPMs while Exeter Saracens sit third, but are now a whopping 22 points adrift of Withycombe with just nine league matches to contest this season.

For Exmouth, the South West Premier woe goes on as they succumbed to a ninth defeat in 10 league games, beaten for the fourth successive time at home, going down 17-20 to a Newbury Blues side that started the day sitting below the Cockles in the table. The Berkshire side are still below Exmouth, but its all mighty tight at the foot of the table with just 10 points separating the bottom six clubs.