Liam Raybauld has endured something of a baptism of fire in his first two games as the new manager of Honiton Town.

The Hippos went down 6-3 in a midweek game at Bovey Tracey and then succumbed to a single goal defeat at Torpoint Athletic on Saturday.

This Saturday (October 31), Raybauld will take charge of the Hippos for the first time in a home game as they entertain basement side Stoke Gabriel at Mountbatten Park (2.15pm).

In last Wednesday’s opening game, Raybauld brought in Tom Beddows and also Frank Rosenwald, the latter also on the books of Southern League side Willand Rovers and it was the Willand man who opened the scoring on four minutes. He then missed a penalty before crossing for Chris Long to net and the Hippos went into the break 4-2 down. An early second half 30-yard free-kick from Ben Ede reduced the arrear, but two late goals for the home side left Town well beaten on the night.

On Saturday, Town’s game at Torpoint Athletic only went ahead after a late morning pitch inspection.

Raybauld’s selection options were limited with Rosenwald required by Willand (he scored in an 8-2 success at Barnstaple Town) and the Hippos were also without the holidaying Finn Rooke and the injured Lewis Couch.

It all meant that having named his 11 starters there were just two substitutes; Raybauld himself and Eliot Dyer.

The game, played out in teeming rain, was won by a 55th minute goal for the home side.

The injury woes mount for Town with Raybauld having to replace Alex Lowe for the final 15 minutes at Torpoint and Dyer was required to take over from Liam Dingle early in the second half.

The defeat at Torpoint, leaves the Hippos sitting 15th in the South West Peninsula League Premier East table with 11 points from 13 games having won three, drawn two and lost eight so far this season.

There ought to be a fourth win recorded this Saturday with the visit to Mountbatten Park of a Stoke Gabriel side that has not only lost all 14 of their matches so far, but conceded a whopping 170 goals in the process, while scoring just three of their own.

On only four occasions so far this season have Stoke Gabriel not shipped double figures in a game and the most recent time that happened was last Saturday when they went down 6-0 at Sidmouth Town.

The Hippos hope to welcome back Finn Rooke for Saturday’s game, but they await news on Nat Hawkins, who missed the Torpoint trip owing to him being called up by Torquay United.