Once again the rain hit the Fresha Devon and Exeter League with only a handful of matches surviving, writes Steve Birley.

For the past five Saturday’s the local football scene has been badly hit! Since the turn of the year, across the five match days that there have been so far just 57 matches have been played across the nine divisions.

On a regular match day the norm would be to see at least 65 matches so for 57 out of approximately 325 leaves something of a backlog!

It all means that local footballers will be squeezing plenty of playing time into the remaining three months of the season!

Sidbury United were again without action last weekend when their much anticipated Division One ‘Match of the Day’, at table-topping Elmore fell foul of the weather. It was probably not a bad thing that the game was called for United’s title hopes could rest on this game – they need to beat the Eagles if they are to have any chance of over hauling them in the title race – and they will no doubt prefer to play them whilst in a run of matches rather than go into such a big game having been out of action for some time.

United are at home to Feniton in an East Devon Senior Cup tie on Saturday, their first home outing since the November 30, 2-0 win at Byes Lane over Cullompton Rangers.

Reigning Premier Division champions Feniton suffered a rare defeat last weekend when beaten 2-0 by St Martins, so a spot of giant killing is on the cards for Byes Lane watchers!

Neither Tipton St John or Newton Poppleford saw action last weekend. Tipton have been inactive now since December 14 and the fixture computer sees them have no game this weekend! Newton Poppleford are another side yet to play in 2014. They were last in action on December 28 and tomorrow they host Heavitree United. When the sides met in Exeter on November 23 the Popples were beaten 5-2.

In Division Six there was a rare home failure – if a draw is to be considered a ‘failure’! – when leaders Otterton were denied all three home league points by East Budleigh Reserves with the sides drawing 1-1.

Tomorrow the Otters head for Halwill who they beat 6-2 when the teams met in East Devon in late September.

Fluxton sit tenth in Division Six, they have played since the start of the year, but will still make their first outing for three weeks if the weather allows them to play at Newton St Cyres.

When they hosted the Mid Devon outfit at Tipton back in September the sides shared six goals.