A round-up of the local rugby and football on a soggy late October Saturday

The troubled start that Sidmouth had to life in the Tribute South West One campaign is behind them as the Chiefs chalked up a third straight win, beating Newton Abbot 32-9 at the Blackmore.

Honiton lost for the sixth time in eight Tribute Western Counties outings, going down 30-5 on their visit to Mid Devon to meet Cullompton.

Exmouth suffered a 12-0 defeat in their South West Premier game at Bracknell. Its only the third time in 111 away league games that the Cockles have failed to score!

As a result of the defeat Exmouth slipped to ninth in the South West Premier table and, with Bracknell able to celebrate only their second success of the league term, the Berkshire team move to 10th, one place and six points behind the Cockles.

In other South West Premier games there was a first defeat of the league term for Barnstaple who surprised at home by Ivybridge who won 15-12. Weston-super-Mare, 32-13 home winners over Launceston, take over at the top of the table.

Withycombe made it six from six Devon One matches, as they won a close encounter with second in the table Plymouth Argaum, beating the visitors 6-0 at Raleigh Park thanks to a brace of penalties from Glen Channing.

It was the first defeat of the season for Argaum and it means that Withy are now the only unbeaten team in any of the four divisions that the East Devon based teams are playing in this season: South West Premier (Exmouth); Tribute South West One (Sidmouth);; Tribute Western Counties (West) (Honiton) and the Devon One that Withy are plying their trade in this season.

FOOTBALL

Ottery St Mary Development XI chalked up their biggest win of the Macron League Division Eight campaign to date when they won 7-1 at University eighths in Exeter, but Beer Reserves went out of the Bill Slee Cup, beaten 5-1 at home by Winkleigh's first team and, in other football involving East Devon-based teams, Honiton Town's South West Peninsula League Premier east meeting with Newton Abbot Spurs - the only scheduled league game of the day - was postponed owing to a waterlogged Mountbatten Park, but they did get a game in at Tiger Way where Axminster Town were edged out 3-2 by St Blazey in a well-contested Walter C Parsons Cup tie.

Exmouth Town's home Toolstation Western League game was off, but Budleigh chalked up a third successive Scott Richards Solicitors Devon League North & East win after a 3-2 win at Braunton. That was one of just two games that survived the rain in that division with the other game played the one that took part on the artificial surface that is home to Exwick Villa and they tasted defeat for only the second time this season, beaten 1-0 by visiting Teignmouth.

Seaton Town were involved in the only Macron Devon & Exeter League Premier Division to beat the weather and what a game it was too as no fewer than 11 goals were scored in the Town game at University, one that saw the students win 6-5!

In the only Division Two game to survive the rain, Honiton Town Reserves went down 6-0 at University of Exeter 4ths. Two games were played in Division Three with Axmouth United hosting one of them and they went down 2-1 at home to North Tawton while, in the other game, Hemyock won 2-0 at University fifths.

Millwey Rise were involved in the only Division Four game to beat the rain and they came up against a strong Kentisbeare Reserves side who dished out a 7-3 beating.

Just one Division Five game was played and it saw Exmouth Rovers beat Exeter United 3-1 in Exeter.

All six scheduled matches in Division Six were washed out. Division Seven saw more action than any of the nine Macron League divisions with no fewer than five games being played! University of Exeter top scored on the day, winning 10-2 at Devon Yeoman and there was a fine 4-1 away win for Lympstone Reserves on their visit to City Raiders in Exeter. The other games saw Okehampton Argyle Reserves defeat visiting Priory 7-2, Cheriton Fitzpaine win 1-0 at home to Central and Countess Wear Rovers were 3-1 home winners over Sandford.

There were two games played in Division Eight with top honours going to Ottery St Mary Development XI for their win and the other game in the bottom division was at Dawlish United where the home side, the South Devon club's third team, beat Kenn Valley United 2-0.