On a soggy Saturday when clubs the length and breadth of the south west were unable to stage a football match Axminster Town managed to get all three of their senior teams into action.

Top billing at Tiger Way went to the South West Peninsula League Eastern Division meeting with Sidmouth Town.

However, 38 minutes into the contest the match referee called a premature halt to proceedings with the final straw to an increasingly waterlogged encounter coming when the Tigers’ Ben Turner saw a goal-bound shot denied entry to the net by a puddle of water!

At the same venue, the Tiger Way second pitch held up very well and allowed for the full 90 minutes to be played in the Fresha League Division Nine meeting between the Axminster Town and Witheridge third teams. The game ended all square at 1-1.

Meanwhile, the Tigers Reserve team game that had been scheduled to be played at Tipton St John, was switched to the drier climes of the Axminster Community College 3G pitch.

The switch worked well for the Tigers who led 1-0 at half-time thanks to a goal from teenage striker Joe Urquhart. After the break the Tigers found a higher gear and scored three more unanswered goals to take the points and continue their leadership of the Fresha League Division Four table. Urquhart scored again and the other Town goals came from Adam Cowling and Ollie Highett.

Axminster Town chairman Ray Self said: “I am so very proud of everybody that we managed to get all three matches started. It was sad that the first team game was abandoned, but I gather it was the correct decision. We had thought in the morning that it would be the second pitch at Tiger Way that would be a problem. However, further rain caused the problems on the main pitch whilst the second pitch held up superbly. The decision to switch the Fluxton away game to the 3G pitch was a good one, certainly from our point of view. The 3g surface is so true and you do need to play a very different game to the one you’d normally use on grass. A good touch and crisp short passing is what is needed. I thought our team did that superbly and though we were quite in the first half, we dominated throughout the second period and played some great football.”