For the second time this season Sidmouth Town gave unbeaten title favourites Tiverton Town Reserves plenty to think about before being beaten by the odd goal in three by the Mid Devon men.

Just as the Vikings had done when they travelled to Tiverton for the first meeting between the teams earlier in the season, they set their stall out to remain disciplined and well organised. In that first Tivvy won by the odd goal in five and this contest went very much the same way.

For all their possession Tivvy struggled to breakdown a solid home side.

The Vikings had the first chance of the game when visiting glovesman John Wannell dropped a routine cross, luckily for the former Exeter City trainee, the ball hit Cameron Vere who was four yards out from the goal line, the ball agonisingly trickled out for a goal kick. It took Tiverton 30 minutes to break the Vikings down. After a blistering run down the right wing by former Taunton Town winger Khaled Badavi the ball was drilled across the box to be met by the on-rushing Luke Mortimer who bundled the ball past Alex Bowring for what proved to be the only goal of the first half.

The opening 15 minutes of the second half was an even affair with neither defences giving any ground. For the visitors, Danny Clay was a key influence and, for the Vikings, skipper Ryan Davies was yet again leading by example with his terrific work rate.

The Tivvy lead was doubled in the 70th minute when former Feniton hit man Dave O’Connor adding to his long list of goals this season.

To the Vikings’ credit they refused to concede the contest and, despite being reduced to 10-men with the red card issued to Billy Rouse who had tangled with Clay, they continued to look for a way through the impressive visiting rear guard.

They were back in it in the 78th minute when Cameron Vere scored a goal that would have graced any pitch or stadium at any level of the game!

With his back to goal some 20 yards from the net, Vere, under tight scrutiny from centre back Ben Ashford, expertly flicked a passed ball over Ashford’s head, and spun to volley the ball beyond a diving Wannell.

The goal lifted the home side and the lively Vere went close to levelling with a shot that clipped the upright.

Connor Swingler, who had a fine game once introduced from the bench, had an 18-yard strike blocked as the visitors defence came under extreme pressure.

Two minutes from time 16-year-old Ollie Binnion became the second Vikings player to see red, but the fact that Town ended the game with nine players should not detract from what was another exceptional performance.

Jamie Newberry personified all that was good and encouraging from Town, his performance was of the outstanding variety.

Sidmouth Town: Bowring, Farrington, Griffiths, Newbery, White, Clenahan, Davies (C), Rouse, Green, Vere, Dixon. Used subs: Swingler, Binion, Facey. Unused Wellman.