Sidbury United 2, University 1 Sidbury moved closer to the promised land of Fresha League top flight football with another solid performance to see off a battling University side at Byes Lane.

Whilst is might not have been the most enthralling of contests and it was certainly not a big wining margin, but, with just seven matches remaining in the league campaign the stage of the season has been reached for United where victories are far more important than performance or indeed winning margins.

Adam Connett opened the scoring before Ashley Small scored a superb second to fire United into an early two-goal lead, but then the students, renowned for their fitness, came storming back. The deficit was halved, but thereafter United stood firm to deservedly claim win number 15 from 21 Division One outings.

The final seven outings of the season include just one more home game with the last Fresha game at Byes Lane being the April 5, visit of Exmouth Amateurs.

In those seven games they meet five of the current bottom six.

With three promotion places up for grabs and Elmore the champions-elect, United are well placed to join the Tiverton side in the top flight next term.

They begin the final seven match run-in with a Saturday visit to third bottom Cullompton Rangers (3pm). Seven days later they go to Horsdon Park to meet Elmore and then entertain Ammies in that final home match.

They have currently one midweek engagement, that a May 9 short trip to Tipton St John before an April 12 visit to Witheridge and a swift return to Mid Devon seven days after that to play at Bickleigh.

One match is still to have a date found for it and that’s a trip into Exeter to meet Heavitree United.

Table.

P W D L F A Pts

Elmore 19 17 1 1 83 13 52

Sidbury United 21 15 2 4 59 23 47

Wellington Town 19 12 2 5 51 30 38

Witheridge 18 12 2 4 44 27 38

Alphington 20 10 2 8 44 40 32

Bow AAC 14 9 3 2 41 15 30

East Budleigh 18 8 3 7 28 31 27

University 15 7 4 4 39 25 25

Beacon Knights 17 7 1 9 31 34 22

Exmouth Amateurs 19 7 0 12 34 45 21

Bickleigh 14 5 1 8 26 36 16

Tipton St John 15 4 2 9 21 40 14

Cullompton Rangers 18 3 3 12 28 51 12

Heavitree United 18 3 2 13 26 48 11

Newton Poppleford 21 0 0 21 12 109 0