Hopefully the weather will be kinder on local footballers who have seen precious little action since before the festive break, writes Steve Birley.

Fresha League Division One promotion chasing Sidbury United went down 2-0 at Wellington Reserves last Saturday in what was their first outing since December 17 and a 3-0 win at East Budleigh.

Tomorrow they play the second of a run of five successive away games, though they don’t have far to travel for they are involved in an East Devon derby at Tipton St John. The sides have met twice already this season with United winning the Byes Lane league meeting 4-0 on the last Saturday of August and the sides met a fortnight later at Tipton in the East Devon Senior Cup when Sidbury were 2-0 victors.

For Tipton they head into the game having not played since a 6-1 defeat at table-topping Elmore Reserves. Since that mauling at Horsdon Park Tipton have suffered four successive postponements!

Newton Poppleford will be looking to end a run of 19 defeats, all but one of them have come in their Fresha One campaign, when they go to Wellington Reserves.

The Popples are close to conceding a century of goals in their league season and they head for Somerset with 94 shipped in the league to date.

Ottery St Mary picked up a point in a 2-2 draw at home to Woodbury last Saturday and they meet the same opposition, this time on the Woods patch where they will be looking to record their first win since a 2-0 win at Sidmouth Town Reserves on November 9.

The Otters go into the game sitting third bottom in Division Three, but they are just eight points behind tomorrow’s opponents with both sides having played 13 of their 22 match league campaigns.

Sidmouth Town Reserves are also in Division Three action when they entertain Axminster Town Reserves looking to complete the season’s league double over the Tigers who they beat 3-1 at Manstone Lane in November.

Fluxton are in Division Six action when they entertain Topsham Town. Fluxton went down 2-0 at promotion chasing Uplowman last Saturday and will be looking to return to winnings ways for the first time since a December 7, 10-0 win at home to Amory Green Rovers.