Sidmouth Town are back in league action tonight (WEdnesday) when they host Liverton (7.30pm), looking to bounce back after Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Stoke Garbriel in a Walter C Parsons Funeral Directors Cup tie.

Town began the game well and created a chance as early as the fourth minute when Rob Knight rounded the visiting keeper Scott Corderoy, but found the angle too tight to squeeze the ball home and instead found the side netting.

The visitors went close twice in quick succession on 10 minutes when Nathan Hebbes first fired wide and then struck the side netting when well placed.

It was against the run of play when Stoke Gabriel broke the deadlock with a 12th minute penalty, awarded for what looked a harsh handball against young Tyler Wellman, who had a fine game throughout.

The experienced Stuart Bowker stepped up to send Vikings glovesman Josh Mclean the wrong way.

The home response was excellent and parity was swiftly restored when Dan Evans delivered a superb cross that was bundled home by veteran striker Shaun Densham.

Town took control and the pace of Connor Swingler and Evans was clearly a problem for the visitors.

Ten minutes before the break only the depth of the crossbar denied Town a lead when a fierce shot from 20 yards by skipper, and Town Man of the Match, Ryan Davies cannoned off the bar with the goalkeeper clearly well beaten!

The second half was a much more cagey affair than the first and both defences looked in command.

On 65 minutes the lively Swingler was felled in the area, but vociferous shouts for a spot kick were turned away by the match official.

Five minutes later goal scorer Bowker was left to receive lengthy treatment and limped off, so it was something of surprise when he reappeared minutes later, but it was he, with a heavily strapped ankle, who executed a speculative overhead kick three minutes from time that proved to be the winning goal.

While both teams had players missing, last season’s league champions Stoke Gabriel were made to work hard for the win and may feel a touch fortunate to have nicked a result as the Vikings gave a good account of themselves and certainly looked better than their lowly Eastern Division league position suggests.

Sidmouth ??From??: Josh Mclean, Binion, Clenahan, Newbery, Wellman, Duchenski, Davies (C), Evans, Swingler, Knight, Densham. Used Subs: Burrows and Anderson. Unused Coombs. Star man – Ryan Davies.