Sidmouth Town beaten in festive derby with Budleigh Salterton

In what was an even-steven first half with both defences in charge of proceedings it was the Vikings who came closest to breaking the deadlock when Ashley Small lost his marker to create sufficient space to get a crisp shot away that struck the inside of the upright before slamming into Budleigh goalkeeper Alan Doble and out for a corner!

With rain falling for the full 90 minutes it was the visitors’ who adjusted better to worsening conditions and, a minute before the break, teenager Aaron Denny tapped in from close-range after some good work from Budleigh player-manager Danny Williams.

Another excellent turnout from the Vikings faithful will have been drinking the welcoming cup of half-time tea and hoping for a much-improved performance from the home side in the second half.

However, despite plenty of ‘huffing and puffing’, the Vikings could not find the much needed additional quality to gain the upper hand on their local rivals and it was no surprise when Budleigh scored their second in the 75th minute.

Hugo Demetre got away down the left and crossed for the impressive Jack Greenslade to turn the ball home.

Four minutes from time Greenslade scored his second after beating the offside trap and skipping past left back Tony Cox before calmly tucking the ball beyond Robbie Powell.

In a generally disappointing morning for the Manstone Lane supporters one huge plus was the performance of 16-year-old Jamie Newberry who continues to perform with great maturity at the heart of the Vikings defence.

There was also an appearance from the bench of another of the club’s Under-16 side, Joe Miller.

Going forward, knowing the way Town boss Josh Stunell likes to operate, the Manstone Lane faithful can expect to see more of the club’s talented Under-16 side given their senior bows before the current campaign ends.

Town: Powell, Cox, Raistrick, Newbery, Pidgeon, Pitter, Armes, Pavey, Kana’ah, Thompson, Small. Used Subs: Ogley and Miller