Budleigh Salterton ladies played their first match for two months when they went down 5-1 at home Activate, writes SpursTom.

The fact the match took place at all is very much down to the sterling efforts of groundsman Andy Ellett whose pre match work was praised after the game by both teams and the match official.

The two teams had been promoted together at the start of the season and had met once already this term with Activate winning a cup clash.

The sharpness and organised play of the visitors illustrated just why they are now challenging for the championship. In Wensday Wise they have a player who is a handful for any defender which she proved with a first half hat-trick between the 19th and 43rd minutes. Though Budleigh forced several corners in the early period, their only reward was a thumping free kick by Leah Rawlings that saw them into the interval 3-1 down.

Having been without a game for so long it was not surprising that the Robinettes began to tire in the second half when they were forced to defend, and defend well, for long periods. Chelcey Greasley was outstanding in the Budleigh defensive effort.

The visitors scored twice more before the end with Wise netting her fourth before a Sam Wilke penalty completed the scoring.

The question now is - what will this defeat do to the confidence of a Budleigh side whose remaining fixtures are away to the top three teams?