Sidmouth Town are hoping that there’s no frost overnight Friday into Saturday – or indeed any more rain – so that their South West Peninsula League Eastern Division game against St Martins is played at their Manstone Lane ground (2.15pm).

Town, who have played more games than anyone else in the Eastern Division, have not seen much recent action.

Indeed, if the St Martins match does not take place then, with Town currently having a free date the following Saturday (January 20), it would mean that the January 27 home game against table-topping Newton Abbot Spurs would be only the fourth outing for the Vikings in a period of 10 weeks.

Leading into this Saturday’s scheduled meeting with St Martins, the Vikings have, since their November 18, 2-1 home win over Teignmouth, played only three games – a 1-1 draw at Brixham, a 5-1 home reversal at the hands of Honiton Town and that Boxing Day 3-1 defeat at Budleigh Salterton.

Town boss Josh Stunell says: “Fortunately for us, this season we had a congested early season fixture list and so other teams continue to play catch-up with us in terms of games played.

“That said, a coach never likes such lengthy periods of inactivity, though, in our case, we have many players who are also signed for other clubs and, when we are called off, I always tell them to try and get a game in elsewhere to keep themselves match fit.”

One particularly frustrating element of the current inactivity comes with the installation of floodlights – new to Manstone Lane this season.

Stunell says: “It is frustrating to me that now we have the floodlights, having games called off, we do have the capability of putting on midweek matches, but the ground is so soft right now that’s not going to happen either!”

In terms of what is left in the Town league campaign, they have 11 games left to play, 10 after the St Martins fixture this weekend.

Seven of the 11 are at Manstone Lane and four are away. The league season currently extends to the first Saturday in May and so, after this weekend, there will still be 16 Saturdays of the campaign remaining.