Sidmouth Town Under-14s scored three times in the last five minutes of their Exeter and District Youth League match at Pinhoe Spartans to seal the points and move into third place in the table.

Adaptability and belief are two key components of any good side and the Town team showed such qualities in abundance as they overcame a ‘pudding’ of a surface, a howling gale and a tidy home team! The conditions made life tough for both sets of players with the ball getting stuck underfoot and mistakes being the order of the day!

Pinhoe played with the benefit of the wind in the first half and that helped them enjoy territorial advantage. However, a solid defensive performance by the Town side ensured the game remained deadlocked at half-time.

After the break Town made a strong start with Man of the Match Ben Goodier alongside the impressive Matt Salter in midfield, pulling the strings and setting up a number of opportunities. However, it seemed like it was going to be one of those days when Pinhoe took the lead with just fifteen minutes remaining! Town made a tactical switch and, spurred on my some terrific inner belief they kept going forward and it was no more than they deserved when, with five minute remaining Louis Spalding sent in a speculative cross-shot that sailed into the top corner of the home net.

Minutes later a Salter shot was parried into the path of Toby Garrick who tapped in at the far post setting off ecstatic scenes on and off the pitch!

Louis Adey put the icing on the cake by following up a Garrick shot to score the third.

Three goals in five minutes was a fitting reward for the desire and commitment of the team who are back in action on Saturday (January 17) when they host Tiverton at Sidford.