Photo © Gary House Photography, photos available to purchase: https://t.co/wDYszVYeVH

A strong crowd turned out in force on a sunny May afternoon to Budleigh Salterton who hosted the ThirstFitness League Cup final between Appledore and Alphington. Both teams have had good seasons, and this was a tough final to call between two very good teams.

Getting the first goal in a cup final is always vital and on this occasion it didn’t take long to arrive as Alphington took the lead within seven minutes. Evan Murry sent a corner into the box which Appledore keeper Noah Vaughan tried to catch with the ball dropping into the net at his far post, a dream start for the Alpha’s.

Boosted by the opening goal, Alphington quickly went in search for a second and almost had it moments later when a clever one two between Ben Bickle and goal scorer Murry ended with the latter firing over the bar from inside the penalty area.

The North Devon side started to create some space as they looked to go forward in search of an all important equaliser and they were awarded a free kick on the edge of the box. Jason McGinley took on the responsibility of the dead ball but could only watch as his strike was met with a fantastic save by Alphington’s number one Leon Woodhead who managed to tip the ball over the bar.

With half an hour played Appledore managed to clear an effort off the line as both teams were creating chances and it wasn’t long before Alphington had another glorious chance. Murry and Bickle once again teaming up well with the latter sending a shot towards goal on the turn but his effort was low and weak meaning Vaughan had a simple task of gathering the ball. A chance in a great position to double the lead which could’ve come back to haunt them later in the game.

With half time approaching quick Oscar Jarrett put the ball over the bar from the edge of the box for Appledore and these missed chances for the North Devon side would prove costly with the half entering injury time as Alphington doubled their lead. A low right wing cross by Joel Greenslade was cleverly left in the middle by Bickle finding Murry at the far post who had the whole goal to aim at and he made no mistake adding to his tally.

An entertaining first half but Appledore knew they had their work cut out in the second half if they wanted to get back into the game to try and get their hands on the trophy. The team talks in the changing rooms would’ve been of contrasting nature and both sides knew the next goal would be crucial.

Appledore came out like a new team in the second half and dominated in large periods against an Alphington side that just struggled to get going again. The North Devon side knew they had to find goals and the quicker they could get the first the easier their job would become.

An Oscar Jarrett corner, from the same corner in which the first goal of the day was scored, was delivered into a crowded area and Appledore captain Aaron Souster rose the highest to head towards goal but he couldn’t get his effort down as it sailed over the top.

The second half wasn’t even fifteen minutes old and the supporters in attendance were treated to the third goal of an entertaining final as the North Devon side managed to get a foot back into the game. McGinley played the ball over to Noah Harris who managed to calmly find the far corner past an onrushing Woodhead to get his side back in the game.

A moment which could’ve seen the game levelled came just after the hour mark and McGinley won’t want to be remembering his wasted chance. A shot from Brian Levien came back out as far as McGinley with an open goal to aim at but somehow he managed to clear the crossbar by quite a distance.

Appledore had shouts for a penalty with ten minutes remaining at the end of the match as a Jarrett shot was blocked in the box by what appeared to be an arm. Despite all the protests the referee waved play on to the frustration of the players and supporters from the Fishermen.

As the clock ran down at the end of the match Alphington had one more chance to seal the game and add gloss to the result as a short corner resulted in Charlie Gillard crossing the ball and Harry Wellaway shooting over at the far post.

Alphington were able to hang on and win the cup in an entertaining final where both teams showed their quality to wrap up another season in the Devon Football League.  

Appledore team: Noah Vaughan, Noah Harris, David Mason, Aaron Souster, Jonathan Elvins, Kai Dymond, James Harley, Joe Kelly, Oscar Jarrett, Jason McGinley, Brian Levien

Subs: Matt Bryce, Joseph Stevens, Morgan Taylor, Jamie Bowden

Alphington team: Leon Woodhead, Ben Annunziata, Jordan Casey, Harry Wellaway, Charlie Gillard, Jake Haggerty, Rio Potter, Harry Walford, Joel Greenslade, Ben Bickle, Evan Murry

Subs: Jake Pond, Tom Bray, Ben Rowland

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On a dreadful and wet night a hardcore set of supporters turned out to watch North Molton SC host title challenging University of Exeter in the A&S Interiors Devon Football League. The visitors came into this match knowing that Alphington had dropped points a day earlier and that three points would take them top of the league. For the hosts they knew they couldn’t mathematically finish bottom of the table and would be looking to pick up as many points as possible from their last few games to climb a few places in the final standings.

The first half lacked in any real quality chances for both sides and the conditions showed with both teams unable to find the killer pass to break past the defence. North Molton picked up a handful of yellow cards for not taking the wet surface into consideration when tackling with a few strong tackles flying in.

It was the hosts who had the best chance to break the deadlock early on with less than ten minutes on the clock when an angled shot from Jack Moses was saved by the University shot stopper Ben Roberts rebounding directly into the path of Adam Jerrett who’s rebounded effort was gathered on the second attempt by Roberts.

A few moments after almost going behind the visitors were gifted with a chance to open the scoring themselves as a clearance from home keeper Jake Greening only went as far as Sam Wade who shot towards the open goal but his effort went well wide of the target.

The opening goal of the game came at the midway point of the first half as Greening had a bit of a howler as he tried to claim a lose ball but Matt Steer had other ideas as he pounced on the ball and tapped in from just a couple of yards out.

The Students took the lead into the half time interval and both teams knew what was required in the second half.

Whilst North Molton would’ve been reasonably happy to only be behind by one goal at the break against a team pushing for the title it was one way traffic in the second half with the visitors comfortably on top.

With the second half barely a couple of minutes old the Students almost doubled the lead as a ball from the right wing found Adam Macpherson who threw himself at the ball but could only put the effort wide of the target. The away side were then gifted another golden chance moments later as an attempted clearance by Michael Hatcher hit Macpherson with the ball going towards the goal, Greening got down well to save the ball and managed to hold on to it as well.

Scorer of the only goal that separated the sides, Matt Steer, was once again involved in the action as he headed goalwards from a long throw but could only watch as Greening was at full stretch to tip the effort over the bar.

With all the chances coming their way it wasn’t long before University managed to double their lead as a ball from the left wing was cut back to Steet who shot towards the target as team mate Jake Faul flicked the ball in to the net to ensure the ball went over the line.

The evening went from bad to worse for North Molton as they were reduced to ten men as Sam Phillips disagreed with the linesman over the decision of a throw in. This led to abusive comments made towards the assistant with the referee dismissing Phillips for dissent.

The students made the man advantage count and added a third goal before the end of the game as substitute Paul Hunold sent a left footed effort towards the bottom corner from the edge of the box which was pushed around the post by Greening. From the resulting corner Hunold had a free header making no mistake in finding the back of the net this time.

With Alphington having dropped points on Monday, University now sit two points clear at the top of the table knowing that a win in Saturday’s crunch match between the top two will secure the title.

North Molton SC team: Jake Robert Greening, Jack Moses, Michael Hatcher, George Folland, Cory Roach, Harley Ashdown, Joshua Stoneman, Sam Phillips, Ciaron Lishman, Joe Southcott, Adam Jerrett

Subs: Matthew Jones, Daniel Anjos, Will Pancherz, James Giffard, Stephen Filsell

University of Exeter team: Ben Roberts, Sam Thomas, Joe Zamir, Jack Smith, James Wakefield, Ben Harris, Sam Wade, Ollie Kavanagh, Adam Macpherson, Jake Faul, Matt Steer

Subs: Michael Massey, Paul Hunold, Oliver Powell

Alphington booked their place in the Thirst Fitness League Cup Final at Budleigh Salterton on the 10^th of May with a penalty shoot-out victory against near neighbours Topsham Town on Tuesday night. A wet Ottery St Mary was the venue for an entertaining match with Alphington keeper Leon Woodhead proving to be the hero as the league leaders had to come from behind on the night.

The game begun with both teams having early chances to take the lead but neither side were able to take advantage from close range. Alphington left back Charlie Gillard was caught not paying attention as Tyler Kelly pounced on a lose ball inside the box but couldn’t find the target as he sent his effort over the bar for Topsham with the first real chance of the game. Moments later and Alphington had a similar chance as Tre Davey was played through one on one but he did well to lift the ball over the keeper but could only watch as it went narrowly wide.

A potential let off for both sides but both teams would also be frustrated to have not taken the lead with such an early chance.

Young Topsham forward Tyler Kelly was proving to be a bit of a handful for the Alphington defence and found himself through on goal once again as he shot just wide from the edge of the box. Both teams were getting plenty of early chances but neither keeper was yet to be tested.

Topsham looked the most likely to score in the first half and as the first forty five minutes drew to a close they had another golden opportunity to take the lead as a shot from Nathan May deflected off a defender and directly into the path of Lee Radford inside the box who hit his effort over the bar.

Alphington had the last chance of the half as substitute Ben Annunziata saw his effort saved well by Topsham keeper Will Davis. An entertaining end to end first half ended goalless as both teams were able to create chances but looked like they had left their shooting boots at home.

Topsham started the second half the strongest and they had the opening goal inside ten minutes of the restart. A superb solo run by Nathan May ended in his shot being saved by Woodhead with the ball falling to Kelly who made no mistake from close range. The goal wouldn’t count though as the linesman was quick to raise the flag for offside.

The disallowed goal seemed to bring the game to life and it wasn’t long until Topsham took the lead, this time with the goal standing. Tyler Kelly who had been lively all match hit a sweet shot from the corner of the box which flew past the Alphington keeper and into the far bottom corner of the goal. A well taken effort and what a time to score.

Topsham only had the lead for seven minutes before Alphington managed to equalise with a well taken effort. The ball was played through the defence to Annunziata who beat the offside trap and fired a shot into the roof of the net with power from close range.

With the scores level once again the game seemed to even out with an end to end affair once again taking place with both teams trying to create chances to take the lead but ultimately the final ball letting them down. As the final whistle drew closer and the dreaded penalty shoot-out was just around the corner Alphington had one more chance to grab the winner deep in injury time as a long throw into the box found Tre Davey who headed goalwards which required Davis in the Topsham goal to react tipping the ball over the top.

Nothing could separate the two sides after ninety minutes and so the penalty shoot-out would determine who would make the trip to Budleigh Salterton for the final. Topsham took the first penalty and Matt Bye could only watch as his effort was well saved by Woodhead down to the keepers right. This would be the penalty that would determine the result as the following nine were all scored.

Alphington await the winners of Ottery St Mary v Appledore in the final with the second semi-final due to take place on Wednesday 23^rd April at Elmore.

Topsham Town team: Will Davis, Harry Drew Cull, Sam Clarke, James Skinner, Lee Riggs, Matthew Bye, Fred Kingdom, Sam Tapp, Tyler Kelly, Nathan May, Lee Radford

Subs: Mitch Ward, Brad Riggs, Brad Phillips, Ryan Saunders

Alphington team: Leon Woodhead, Tom Bray, Jordan Casey, Jack Furzer, Charlie Gillard, George Bosworth, Rio Potter, Jake Haggerty, Joel Greenslade, Tre Davey, Ben Bickle

Subs: Ben Annunziata, Jake Pond, Harry Wellaway

The DFL has a vacancy for the role of Referee Support Officer. Please view or download the document below for the specifications:

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If you are interested in this role, or would like more information about it, please email secretarydevonfootballleague

Closing date 31/12/2024

Article and photo by Tom Besford.

The Devon Premier Cup is always one of the most entertaining tournaments in the local football season, and the first round of this season’s tournament begun with strong winds dominating matches around the county.

Thorverton made the trip to Torquay to take on Waldon Athletic from the South Devon League Premier Division at a very exposed and cold Windmill Hill, and the wind was to be the winner as it dominated the game and made it hard for both teams.

Both teams started the game quickly as Thorverton moved the ball quickly down the wings but couldn’t get the ball in to a goal scoring position whilst down the other end, Waldon blazed a shot over the bar as they broke the back line, but the effort from Jacob Knapman wouldn’t have counted anyway as the offside flag had been raised.

The game was just approaching the twenty minute mark when the deadlock was broken as once again Thorverton broke down the left wing through Nathan Lee, and his cross found its way into the back of the net with some help from a strong wind. The visitors won’t care how the goal came about though as they took the lead against their unbeaten hosts.

Diego Barbero had to pull off a brilliant save as a headed effort from a Waldon corner was heading in, but the ball was tipped over the bar for another corner. Waldon were starting to apply some pressure as they looked for an equaliser, and Thorverton would have to dig deep to stay in front.

With just over five minutes until half time, Thorverton would have been frustrated to not double the lead as Lee had a chance for his second of the game. A Sam Stewart shot was saved by Waldon goalkeeper Kitson Glanville but it was only parried as far as Nathan Lee who fired wide of the target.

The visitors were made to pay for their missed chance as Waldon equalised with their very last touch of the first half. A cross from Sam Heath found the head of Danny Rushe as he guided the ball past Barbero and into the net to send the teams in at the break all square. The game didn’t even have the chance to kick off again as the half time whistle was blown.

As Waldon looked to push on and hopefully cause an upset, their task became even harder after fifty six minutes as they were reduced to ten men as Louie Roberts was given his marching orders for a second yellow card. The Waldon man lunged in on the goalkeeper meaning he was sent for an early shower.

Being a man down didn’t seem to affect the hosts at first and Les Afful, one of the two ex-professional footballers in their side, attempted an audacious shot from over thirty yards out after he saw the visiting ‘keeper off his line. Afful could only watch, though, as the ball went just wide of the target.

Thorverton were pushing to take the lead and their chances came as Chris Powell fired wide in a crowded box. Pressure kept coming down the left wing and a cross into the box was headed on to the far post with ten minutes remaining as Ben Stevens was on hand to fire in from close range to put his side back in front.

Danny Rushe headed a late corner over the bar as the hosts looked for a late equaliser, but it would never come as Thorverton held on to prevent a cup shock from occurring and progress into the next round.

Waldon Athletic team: Kitson Glanville, Olly Moxham, Danny Rushe, Kyle Doughty, Louie Roberts, Sam Heath, Ash Grimes, Harrison Arnold, Sean Finch, Tom Davis, Jacob Knapman

Subs: Keenan Breen, Les Afful, Joe Whitehead, Cal Feasby, Liam McKendrick

Thorverton team: Diego Barbero, Charlie Webb, Paddy O’Loughlan, Pete Hensor, Ben Stevens, Joe Radford, Sam Stewart, Ryan Moody, Nathan Lee, Dylan Isaac, Chris Powell

Subs: Jacob Dack, Piotr Czaja, James Stevens, Ben Mills

Article by Tom Besford. Photo ©Danni Hide Photography

The first week of the season without any midweek football means that all the teams will be well rested for some entertaining action this weekend.

With the league table starting to take shape, new boys Alphington remain unbeaten at the top of the table whilst Plymouth Marjon could claim top spot by winning their games in hand. At the bottom of the table, two teams continue to look for their first win of the season following their only wins being taken away following the resignation of Lakeside Athletic.

Alphington v Ipplepen Athletic:

Alphington have adapted to life back in the Devon Football League like a fish to water, nine games played and still without a defeat to their name. Four games into the season and Alphington had to fight hard to continue their form with ten men as they narrowly won away at Ipplepen Athletic who will be looking for revenge. The Alphas haven’t lost a home game in the league this calendar year and they will be hoping to continue that run of games, but they know they will be up against tough opposition. This will be Ipplepen’s first visit to Alphington for a league game, and with Ipplepen having an average of 4.5 goals in their games this season, it could turn out to be a brilliant match for the neutral.

Appledore v Budleigh Salterton:

The Fishermen and the Robins are well known to each other with both clubs having played in the South West Peninsula League Division One East for many years. Appledore have struggled to hit the form which saw them finish as runners-up last season, currently sitting in ninth spot in the table with just three wins from their opening seven games, whilst their opponents sit two points and one spot above them in the table. Last season, the two teams only met once with Appledore unable to raise a side for the trip to Budleigh, and the game in North Devon ended 0-0. The visitors have been a bit inconsistent so far this season and have won four and lost four of their opening eight games.

Bere Alston United v Topsham Town:

Bottom of the table side Bere Alston United welcome an in-form Topsham Town to the Down as they look for their first three points in the league this season. Although bottom of the table, Bere Alston United come into this game on the back of a brilliant win last Saturday in the ThirstFitness League Cup against holders for the last two seasons Beer Albion. Their visitors have been enjoying a great season so far as they have won five of their opening seven fixtures with defeat at Dartmouth and Thorverton the only two losses so far this campaign.

Dartmouth v Ottery St Mary:

Ottery St Mary clearly know where the goal is as they come into this match at Dartmouth having scored fourteen goals in their last three games. It was a slow start to the new campaign for the Otters, but they ended August in style with a 7-2 victory against Bere Alston United and carried that form into September winning 6-2 at North Molton SC. Dartmouth have had a bit of a mixed bag of results so far this season and have only won three of their first seven games but have also conceded four goals on two occasions. This game could have plenty of goals as both teams will be looking for a successful season at the top end of the table.

North Molton SC v Beer Albion:

It is fair to say that North Molton SC have had a bit of a disappointing start to the new season and this is reflected with the departure of their manager Sam Smith during the week. The North Devon outfit have just one win from their opening seven fixtures as they ended August with a win at Newtown. Beer Albion have better form than their hosts as they have won four of their opening seven games, but they know how hard a trip to North Molton is with a 1-0 win and 1-1 draw from their previous two visits. These two clubs also met in last season’s ThirstFitness League Cup final (pictured) which Beer Albion ran out 2-0 winners.

Plymouth Marjon v Thorverton:

Plymouth Marjon have been having a season to remember as they went unbeaten in their first six games which included a win at last season’s champions University of Exeter, however, they come into this fixture on the back of their first defeat as they lost 1-0 on the road at Topsham Town last Saturday. Opponents Thorverton have had a mixed bag of results this season with three wins, three draws and two defeats from eight games, however, they come into this game in form, unbeaten in their last four. For Thorverton, their last four games have included an impressive 4-1 win at Dartmouth and a 3-1 victory over a Topsham Town side who beat Marjon last week.

Plymstock United v Newtown:

With just two 1-1 draws this season from their opening eight games, it has been a tough start for Plymstock United who lost their only victory as Lakeside Athletic withdrew from the league. A 1-1 draw in their last game at Thorverton saw them move a point clear of basement club Bere Alston United with whom they’ve already drawn against this season. Newtown have drawn four of their opening ten games and have only won twice this season but come into this match on a five game winless run. Newtown have only lost one of their six away games this season as they seem to favour the away trips so far this season.

Match report ©Tom Besford. Photo ©Al Macphee/MiraclePR

As Autumn is officially upon us, the wet and horrible weather decided to set in this weekend but for the small crowd that braved the weather at Ipplepen Athletic’s Moor Road ground they were treated to a goal fest in a very entertaining match.

The hosts, who have only one league win to their name so far this season, started the brightest and they found themselves in front after less than two minutes as skilful winger Tom Kelly received the ball, beat his man and fired into the far corner of the goal.

Elmore didn’t let this early set back deter them and they pushed for an instant response and it took just under ten minutes for the Eagles to find the equaliser. Harvey Hogan delivered the ball to the far post where Lewis White made no mistake heading home from close range.

Ipplepen reacted to this set back and they soon found themselves back in front just three minutes after being pegged back. The ball into the Ipplepen box was cleared only as far as Olly Critchlow who was on the edge of the box and hit a wonderful first time effort past the visiting keeper.

The thrilling start to the game continued and it wasn’t long until the fourth goal was scored within the opening twenty minutes of the match, this time Elmore once again levelling. Brandon Parsons dinked the ball past Billy Courtier as the keeper came out to retrieve the ball.

It had been a thrilling start to the game and a great advert for local non-league football but unfortunately there would be no more goals in the first half even though Elmore came close on a few occasions. Lewis White heading just wide of the target from a Fin Crocker cross and just before the half time interval Mason King had time to turn and shoot in the box but could only fire narrowly off target.

A thrilling first half and if the second half matched the quality of the first, all in attendance would’ve been in for a treat. Thankfully, the second half was equally as entertaining.

The home side found themselves going down to ten men for a period in the second half as Olly Critchlow was sent to the sin bin and the visitors made sure to make the extra man count as they took the lead for the first time in the match. Parsons scored his second of the game with a massive helping hand as his free kick took a wicked deflection to leave Courtier with no chance in between the posts.

Elmore continued to put pressure on the Ipplepen back line as they looked to add more gloss to the score and could’ve scored twenty minutes into the half but an outstanding fingertip save by Courtier tipped the ball onto the bar and out for a corner.

It wouldn’t be long before the visitors managed to extend their lead and it was Parsons once again as he completed his hat-trick as he was released through on goal before cleverly lobbing the outrushing goalkeeper.

As the match entered into injury time there was still plenty of drama to come and it begun with Elmore adding another goal to their tally. Harvey Hogan fired a shot from the edge of the box through the legs of Drew Gove and into the back of the net, however, celebrations were cut short as Billy Courtier in goal for the hosts appealed for offside claiming that an Elmore attacker was impeding his view. A short chat between the referee and the linesman later and the goal was disallowed.

A couple of minutes later and Ipplepen managed to cut the deficit to one as a cross from the right found Critchlow who headed home into an empty net. Was there still chance for Ipplepen or was it too little too late as time was running out?

There would still be time for another goal though as in the sixth minute of time added on Elmore managed to score a fifth, Freddie Ansley completing the scoring for the Eagles. A long range shot past Courtier hit the post and Ansley had the easiest job of tapping the rebound into an empty net.

A brilliant match in awful conditions and one that will last long in the memory. Elmore showed why they have started the season so strongly whilst Ipplepen could count themselves unlucky, a performance like that could quite easily have been three points on another day.

Ipplepen Athletic team: Billy Courtier-Train, Josh Pagett, Josh Hurren, Derek Bridgman, Lee Fenner, Joe Wilden, Oliver Critchlow, Tom Kelly, Mason Joint, Charlie Cuss, Nick Edmunds

Subs: Drew Gove, Zak Carnell, Kieron Collings, Billy Robbins

Elmore team: Luke Philips, Kamil Wojtowicz, Harvey Hogan, Luke Broomfield, Connor Pearce, Dan Cole, Lewis White, Matt Pengelly, Fin Crocker, Mason King, Brandon Parsons

Subs: Cody Stansfield, Freddie Ansley, Joe Barry, Luke Andrews

Photos © Tom Besford

The final match day of a busy August sees a full fixture list with sixteen teams in action with Thorverton receiving a day off due to being the seventeenth club in the league. The opening month has been full of entertainment and goals and hopefully the rest of the season continues in this form.

Beer Albion v Appledore:

The hosts come into this Fishermen derby unbeaten at home this season with their only defeat on the road at Budleigh Salterton whilst visitors Appledore have had some mixed form so far this season. Two wins and two defeats from Appledore see them currently in tenth and they will be looking to bounce back from defeat last Saturday against University of Exeter. Last season Appledore finished as runners up whilst Beer Albion finished third and just three points behind the North Devon club, however, there wasn’t much more the East Devon club could do as Beer won both games 4-3 at home and 2-0 away. Beer Albion and Appledore joined the league at the same time prior to the 2022/2023 season and since then Beer Albion have a 100% record against Appledore having won the four previous league meetings.

Budleigh Salterton v Plymstock United:

Plymstock United picked up a point in midweek as they drew 1-1 at home against Bere Alston United whilst Budleigh Salterton lost 2-1 at home to Ottery St Mary. Both teams will be looking to bounce back in this fixture to pick up a vital three points having both had a rather slow start to the season. For the visitors, the Stockies have only won once in their opening six matches and would’ve been gutted to not at least get a point at Elmore last Saturday following a 4-3 defeat. Budleigh Salterton have lost their last two games at home and have only won one of their four home fixtures, a record which they will be hoping to improve in this fixture. Plymstock last won at Budleigh Salterton in 2014 winning 2-1 in the South West Peninsula League, however, both clubs drew 4-4 at Deans Cross last season.

Dartmouth v Alphington:

Dartmouth have had mixed form in their opening few Devon Football League fixtures with two wins and two defeats and come into this match on the back of a 1-0 defeat against Ipplepen in midweek. The visitors have been in fine form this season following their promotion from the Devon & Exeter League and remain unbeaten from their first five matches, however, a 0-0 draw at Beer Albion last week saw them lose their 100% record. This will be the first time the two clubs come head to head in a league fixture since the 2006/2007 season when they were both in the Devon County Football League, Dartmouth won both matches that season 4-1 away and 2-1 at home and you have to go back to 2000 to find the last time Alphington won against the Darts. The visitors will be hoping to continue their unbeaten form into September.

Elmore v Lakeside Athletic:

It has been a tough start to the season for Lakeside Athletic who find themselves as the basement club in the division with three defeats from three, it will be a tough match as they make the long trip to an in form Elmore side who currently sit third. Three wins, a draw and defeat so far this season for Elmore who come into this game on the back of a 4-3 victory against Plymstock United last Saturday. Elmore won their home game against Lakeside 6-2 in April last season as the visitors were going through some bad form and that made it six points from a possible six for the Eagles as they had already won the away game 2-1.

Ipplepen Athletic v Topsham Town:

Last season only one point separated these two sides at the end of the season as Topsham finished slightly better as they finished in eleventh spot. This season the two clubs are having completely different form as Ipplepen find themselves near the bottom of the division with their 1-0 midweek win at Dartmouth being their only three points to date. As for Topsham Town, the club have won three of their opening five matches and are currently fourth in the league, they come into this match though on the back of a midweek 3-1 defeat at Thorverton. Although we’re still in August, this is the second meeting of these two sides this season already and Ipplepen will be hoping to get revenge for a 3-0 defeat earlier in the season.

Newtown v North Molton SC:

North Molton SC have really struggled to repeat their fine form from the last two seasons which saw them finish fifth last campaign and second in the North & West Division the season prior. With just one draw in their opening three games, the North Devon side find themselves second from bottom and will be hoping a little run of form could pull them up the table a little. It will be tough for the visitors as they visit a strong Newtown team who are unbeaten since the opening day of the season, a run which has seen two draws and two wins. In this fixture last season Newtown ran out convincing winners as they won 8-1, however, North Molton managed to get revenge winning their home fixture 3-0 before beating Newtown in the semi-final of the ThirstFitness League Cup 4-3 thanks to a dramatic late winner.

Ottery St Mary v Bere Alston United:

The hosts bounced back from defeat last Saturday at Plymouth Marjon by winning 2-1 in midweek at Budleigh Salterton. Bere Alston United were also in action in midweek as a 1-1 draw at Plymstock United put an end to their three game losing run. Last season Bere Alston United picked up four points against Ottery St Mary with a 3-2 home win followed by a 1-1 away draw, a record which Ottery will be hoping to change in this fixture. This will be the first home game of the season for Ottery St Mary and they will be wanting to start their home campaign with a valuable three points.

University of Exeter v Plymouth Marjon:

The battle of the University’s as University of Exeter play their first home game of the season against an unbeaten Plymouth Marjon side. University of Exeter have only played once so far this season and they won the game 2-1 at Appledore to start their hunt to reclaim the league title. Plymouth Marjon are currently top of the division with four wins and a draw from their opening five games and already have an impressive goal difference of +16, eleven goals better than the next best goal difference. The University of Exeter claimed bragging rights last season as they won both games 3-1 and 4-0, a record which Plymouth Marjon will need to change if they want to continue their unbeaten run.

Match report and photos by Tom Besford

Thorverton continued their spell of back to back home games at the beginning of the season as they welcomed Bere Alston United to the Recreation Field. The hosts were in search of their first win of the season following a draw and defeat whilst Bere Alston arrived with a 100% record with a 5-0 win in their only game of the season so far.

The teams were very equally matched with both sides cancelling each other out and neither goalkeeper having much to do in the first half other than catch corners and long balls from the opposition.

Sam Stewart had the opening chance for the home side after quarter of an hour as he managed to beat the offside trap and fire his shot goalward but he could only watch as Michael Moore in the visiting goal pushed the effort onto the post. It was game of chances few and far between but the hosts looked the most likely to score as Ryan Moody burst into the right hand side of the box before firing over the top.

With the game nearing the half an hour mark the deadlock was finally broken as Moody was tripped in the box by Darren Phillips leading to the home side being given a penalty. Josh Hole stood up to the responsibility and calmly slotted the ball into the bottom right corner to give the hosts the lead.

This goal gave the game a spark of life and it was just over ten minutes before the lead was doubled, once again from the penalty spot. Connor Johnson was adjudged to have handled the ball in the box and so the hosts were able to double their lead with their second penalty. Hole stood up once again and placed the ball in the same place but this time it was saved by Bere Alston keeper Michael Moore. Unfortunately for the visitors the penalty save was followed by Hole being on hand to tap in the rebound from close range.

Bere Alston United had to look for a way back into the game and this meant that gaps were left at the back resulting in almost conceding a third. A short back pass was gathered by Nathan Lee who fired a shot past Moore in goal but could only watch as it hit the post before being cleared by a visiting defender.

Bere Alston had their work cut out in the second half and they put the pressure on the home defence as they searched for a way back into the match. The visitors did manage to halve the deficit with just over quarter of an hour to go as Darren Phillips found the back of the net to make it a goal scoring afternoon for both players wearing the number three shirt. After a lucky one two with a team mate on the edge of the box Phillips received the ball back and fired into the bottom corner.

It would turn out to be too little too late for the visitors as they put pressure on the home goal for the final ten minutes but couldn’t manage to find an equaliser. The South Devon side came close with just a few moments to play when the ball fell to Johnson on the edge of the box who shot through a crowded area only to see his effort cleared before it could reach the goal.

Thorverton team: Diego Barbero, Charlie Webb, Josh Hole, Pete Hensor, Ben Stevens, Myles O’Reilly, Sam Stewart, Ryan Moody, Nathan Lee, Jacob Dack, Dylan Isaac

Subs: Beckham Pyatt, Paddy O’Loughlan, Chris Powell, Piotr Czaja, Oliver May

Bere Alston United team: Michael Moore, Ryan Moorhead, Darren Phillips, Robbie Court, Josh Monk, Callum Massey, Connor Johnson, Ben Clarke, Jak Plummer, Harry Eaton, Soul Pengelley

Subs: William Westlake