Sidbury Utd returned to Senior One football and produced an impressive result against a very experienced East Budleigh side.

Sidbury Utd returned to Senior One football and produced an impressive result against a very experienced East Budleigh side. It has been 10 years since the Seagulls played in Senior One, and the three points were hard earned as they had to come from behind when the home side scored on 20 minutes. East Budleigh had bossed those first 20 minutes and it looked like Sidbury might buckle but, to their credit, they responded with an excellent goal involving Dan Tavender and Keiron Fayter-Small, finished off by Dave Green. Five minutes later the evergreen Steve Popham scored a second goal from a well-delivered Ben Clay free-kick. The second half saw Sidbury outplay their opponents and they had opportunities to extend their lead. Small hit the bar from six yards and Tavender missed a golden opportunity from close range. The last 10 minutes saw East Budleigh pile on the pressure with long balls driven at the heart of the Sidbury defence but they held firm and fully deserved the three points.Manager Mel Coombs said: "I was proud of all the lads. We knew we were in for a tough challenge and they responded superbly. "Perhaps we should have won by more but, when you think that most sides are going to find it hard to get anything there, it makes the result that little bit more pleasing. "I would like to take this opportunity to thank Jason Margrett for all his efforts since he joined us last season. He has decided to retire from playing, mainly due to injuries. He joined us last year at a time when the team needed stability in defence. He gave us that and helped keep our undefeated run going and consequently helped Sidbury gain promotion. He has played a major part in getting the lads fit for the season. I have asked him to work with me on match days but, for now, he just wants to relax and see how he feels after a few weeks."l Star man: Dave Crisp rated 9 out of 10.l This Saturday, Sidbury host Bickleigh Res in the Devon County Cup 1st round, kick off 2pm.l The second team travel to Kentisbeare, kick off 3pm.