Sidmouth were edged out by the odd goal in three when they made the short trip to Budleigh Salterton for a Boxing Day South West Peninsula League Eastern Division game.

It was Sidmouth who made the brighter starts and they might have gone ahead had Adam Kann’ah seen his shot beat the goalkeeper rather than nestle on top of the goal net!

Budleigh eventually settled into the game and Carl Everest saw his well-struck 25-yard shot fly just wide of the mark.

The Robins then conjured up two goals from set-pieces within eight late first-half minutes with Mark Lever netting both.

The first arrived in 27th minute when a Callum Shipton corner was headed home by an unmarked Lever and then, seven minutes later, another Shipton corner was only cleared to George Pannell who drove it across the box for Lever to net from close range to double his tally.

A minute before the break Sidmouth’s Kannah rifled the ball over the bar.

The second half saw Sidmouth Town play with the benefit of the powerful wind and it was the visitors who bossed proceedings.

However, despite seeing more of the ball and having the better chances, they could net just the one, another clinical finish from the impressive Cameron Vere. Five minutes after the goal Ferenc Bodor looked to be on his way to the home goal when he was seemingly fouled on the edge of the 18-yard box.

Typical of the Town fortunes this season, the match official did not agree with the vociferous appeals for a penalty from the away dugout and thereafter the Town chances petered out.

Late on a Jack Howarth strike shaved the Town bar, but a third for the home team would certainly have been harsh on the Vikings.

Post match Vikings boss Josh Stunell said: “It was another of those games where I honestly feel that we did not get the rub of the green in terms of the decision making by the match official. That seems to be the way it’s falling for us right now. It’s fair to say we were again the makers of our own downfall in as much as both the Budleigh goals were very, very preventable. We just shut down at two set pieces and basically gifted them a pair of goals. Had we got to half-time at 0-0 I am certain we’d have come home with the points.”

Make sure of your copy of the Sidmouth Herald to read more of the Town boss’s views.

*Before the game a minutes silence was observed in memory of Trevor Howarth, a Budleigh Salterton FC club stalwart of many years who sadly passed away just before Christmas. Trevor had played in both Budleigh senior teams, and also had a spell as manager of the Reserves. His nephew Jack continues the Howarth link to the Robins and he was a second half substitute in the game.