The penultimate Saturday of February was one to forget in terms of Sidmouth – and Ottery St Mary – football and rugby!

Sidmouth RFC suffered a very rare defeat in what has, so far been a superb Western Counties (W) campaign, but they were guilty of making too many mistakes as they slipped to a 21-10 defeat at a Bideford side that were fourth from bottom in the table at the start of play.

Sidmouth Town went down 2-0 on their visit to Alphington for their latest SWP League Eastern Division game.

Sidmouth Town Reserves had their Devon Senior Cup quarter-final tie abandoned and so that fixture will now likely take up a third successive Saturday (it was called off last week owing to weather).

Sidmouth Town thirds were involved in an extraordinary Football Express Cup with Kentisbeare Reserves in Mid Devon with the Kents winning 6-5!

Sidmouth Town fourths lost their Macron Division Seven meeting at home to Cowick Barton 4-0.

The Ottery St Mary winning run is over! The Macron Division Three leaders were unable to chalk up a 13th successive win as they went down 3-2 at Beer Albion Reserves.

Tipton St John bounced back to winning ways with a 3-2 Division Two home win over Dawlish United.

However, in terms of East Devon football, on what was an otherwise generally disappointing Saturday – there was also a defeat for Honiton RFC, Honiton Town and Budleigh Salterton – but Exmouth Town won to top the SWP League Premier Division and Exmouth RFC landed another fine away win with victory at Gloucestershire-based Old Patesians and Dunkeswell Rovers fly the East Devon flag highest after they won their Devon Intermediate Cup quarter-final tie, beating Appledore Lions 4-1.

In rugby, Honiton slipped out of the top two on the Tribute Cornwall and Devon division after a 28-20 home defeat to a Penryn side that now sit top of the table.

In football, there was a narrow defeat for Honiton Town in their latest SWP League Eastern Division game with the Hippos beaten 3-2 in Exeter by University.

No joy either for the other East Devon sides in the Eastern Division with Budleigh Salterton beaten 4-1 at home by Waldon Athletic and Sidmouth went down 2-0 at Alphington. But, in the Premier Division, Exmouth Town sit top after they won 3-0 at home to Callington and morning leaders Tavistock Town lost 5-0 at St Austell.

Dunkeswell Rovers take pride of place in local football on the penultimate Saturday of February after they won their Devon Intermediate Cup quarter-final tie, beating Appledore Lions 4-1 at Hemyock.

In the local Macron League fixtures, there were heavy home Premier Division defeats for both Feniton, Upottery and Seaton Town with Fenny beaten 5-2 at Acland Park by Lyme Regis while Upottery went down 7-1 at Glebe Park to Colyton and Seaton Town lost 5-0 at home to Exwick Villa.

There were Division Two defeats for both Honiton Town Reserves and Axminster Town Reserves with the Hippos second string going down 5-2 at home to Uplowman while the Tigers’ second string were edged out 3-2 at Bow AAC.

The Ottery St Mary winning run is over! The Macron Division Three leaders were unable to chalk up a 13th successive win as they went down 3-2 at Beer Albion Reserves. In the same section, Axmouth United lost 3-0 at East Budleigh.

In Division Three, where the 12 match winning run of leaders Ottery St Mary was ended in a 3-2 defeat to Beer Albion Reserves, East Budleigh kept up their promotion push with a 3-0 Vicarage Road win over Axmouth United.

In Division Four, Millwey Rise were beaten 3-1 at home by high-flying Elmore Reserves and there was defeat also for Lyme Regis Reserves,, beaten 2-0 at St Martins Reserves.

In Division Five, Cranbrook bounced back to winning ways with a 6-0 success at Awliscombe and Upottery Reserves were 3-2 winners at table-toppers Exmouth Spartans!

In Division Six, Offwell Rangers were beaten 7-2 at home by Silverton while Colyton Reserves lost 4-1 Amory Green Rovers. In Division Seven Otterton Reserves shared four goals with visiting Okehampton Argyle Reserves.

The Division Eight derby at Honiton Town thirds went the way of visiting Millwey Rise Reserves, who won 3-2.