A round-up of local football and rugby on the first Saturday of 2020

FOOTBALL

It was a case of draws all-round for the three East Devon-based teams playing in the South West Peninsula League Premier East. Pete Knox scored a 72nd minute goal to earn Honiton Town a share of the spoils from their visit to Elburton Villa. The Plymouth side had taken a 64th minute lead, but the Hippos were quick to restore parity, and deservedly so.

Axminster Town, playing their first game under the sole management of Josh Stunell after his fellow 'join-boss' Jon Hurford stepped down earlier in the week, shared six goals on their visit to Holsworthy and Sidmouth Town drew for the second time this season with Dartmouth, the teams ending 0-0 at Manstone Lane and that point was good enough to keep the Vikings off bottom spot for the only team to sit below them in the table at the start of the day, Torrington, surprised Crediton United 3-1, but the point that Sidmouth Town banked keeps them above the North Devon side on goal difference.

Ottery St Mary began 2020 in a degree of style as they won their first Scott Richards Solicitors Devon League South & West game of the New Year, beating hosts Waldon Athletic 5-2.

Connor Swingler stole the show in terms of the goal scoring as he struck a hat-trick.

Tristan Courtney scored the other two goals and it all means that the Otters are now unbeaten in three games.

Ottery boss Dave Fairweather said post match: "It was a terrific all-round display and each one of the lads deserves bags of credit both for the individual and collective efforts.

"The new lads to the side have clearly given is the desired boost. Connor [Swingler], Matt [Ayres] and Charlie [Norris] have all come in and given us so much additional quality and it is clearly bringing the best out in the other lads.

"There's new belief and confidence in the ranks now and I am certainly hopeful that we can continue what is now an unbeaten three game run and start to climb the table."

A Callum Shipton double made sure that Exmouth Town made a winning start to 2020 as they defeated Bitton 2-0 before another excellent turnout at Southern Rad.

Shipton scored his first after 35 minutes with a superb strike and made sure of the points with his second late on.

The win sees Town climb to third in the Toolstation Western League Premier Division table after Clevedon Town, who had occupied third spot, went down 3-2 at home to Buckland Athletic. Leaders Bradford Town were 4-0 home winners over Odd Down and second placed Parkway were 3-1 winners at home to Brislington. Hallen are also up one place, they sit fourth after a 5-0 home win over Cadbury Heath. Bridgwater Town beat visiting Bridport 3-2, Shepton Mallet were 6-0 home winners over Chipping Sodbury Town and Street were held 2-2 at home by Roman Glass St George and Wellington went down 3-1 at home to Westbury United.

Budleigh also made a winning start to 2020 as they beat Chudleigh 5-2 at Greenway Lane. Jake Chudley (2), Sam Glanville, Jacob Tinsley and Si Withers scored the goals that brought the Robins a win that lifts them to eighth in the table.

In the Macron Devon & Exeter League Premier Division; Beer Albion were 7-0 home winners over basement side Sidmouth Town Reserves, Feniton defeated visiting Hatherleigh 4-1, Upottery returned from Kentisbeare with a point from a 2-2 draw, Lyme Regis were 4-2 winners at home to Colyton and Seaton Town were thumped 7-1 at home by Cronies.

In Division One, Tipton St John went down 4-1 at Exwick Villa while Lympstone bagged a point from a 2-2 draw at Chard Town Reserves.

In Division Two, Beer Albion Reserves bettered their first team, winning 8-0 at Heavitree United Reserves; Otterton went down 4-3 at home to Tedburn and East Budleigh were undone 4-1 on their visit to high-flying Elmore Reserves. Honiton Town Reserves banked a point from a 2-2 home draw with Halwill.

In Division Three, Exmouth Spartans were emphatic 13-2 winners at Upottery Reserves; Dunkeswell Rovers were 2-1 winners at North Tawton and Axmouth United went down 3-0 at Westexe Park Rangers.

In Division Four Sidmouth Town thirds went down 6-3 at Bampton; Feniton Reserves won 2-0 at Devon Yeoman, Millwey Rise were 5-0 home winners over Culm United and Cranbrook were the days top scorers, shipping one, but netting 16 at Colyton Reserves.

In Division Five, table-topping Exmouth Rovers made it played 10 and won 10 with a 3-0 win over a Farway side playing only their fourth league game of the season! Awliscombe, another side that has not seen much action this league campaign so far, went down 3-0 at Royal Oak in what was only the Awls fourth game of the season!

East Budleigh Reserves lost 4-1 at home to Witheridge Reserves.

In Division Six, Offwell Rangers and Seaton Town Reserves played out a 0-0 draw and Otterton Reserves went down 5-2 at Winchester Reserves.

In Division Seven, Sidmouth Town thirds completed a bad day of Macron results for then club as they emulated the Town second and third teams, being edged out 3-2 at home to Devon Yeoman.In Division Eight, Millwey Rise Reserves won 1-0 at Amory Green Rovers and Ottery St Mary Development made it a great day al-round for the Otters as they emulated their first team with a splendid 5-2 home win over Kenn Valley.

RUGBY

Honiton have slipped to third bottom of the Western Counties West table after a 17-3 defeat at Tiverton. The Lacemen are now just a single point above bottom side Saltash with Falmouth sitting second bottom on the same 19 points that Honiton have, 13 games into their league campaign.

The other Western Counties West results on the day were; Bideford edged out visiting Cullompton 7-0, St Austell powered to a 40-5 home win over Saltash; Teignmouth were 17-15 winners over Penryn; Wadebridge Camels defeated visiting Kingsbridge 23-15; Wellington beat Falmouth 44-7 and Chard were 41-17 winners at Wiveliscombe.

Exmouth suffered a losing start to 2020 as they went down 44-27 to Maidenhead. However, at the halfway stage of this opening South West Premier game of the New Year, the Cockles were deservedly ahead and not one of the home supporters would have had much of an argument to disagree with the fact that their team trailed 20-7 at the interval.

However, just eight minutes into the second half the home team were 21-20 ahead from which point they never looked back and went on to seal a fairly comprehensive win.

The defeat means that the Cockles have now lost four successive South West Premier games with their last win being a November 16, 17-8 win at Camborne.

The trip to Maidenhead was game number 13 of what will ultimately be a 24 game season. The Cockles are next in action next Saturday (January 11) when they face basement side Newbury Blues who will arrive at the Imperial Ground sitting two places below the Cockles with just Bracknell (21 points) and five points separating them! The Cockles have 25 points and next Saturday's visitors have 20 points.

In the day's other South West Premier games there were four home wins and one away win. The only side to win away on the first Saturday of 2020 were Exeter University, who won 36-21 at bottom side Newbury Blues. In other matches, leaders Barnstaple beat visiting Brixham 18-3 and, with Maidenhead beating the Cockles to stay second, Weston-super-Mare were 14-10 home winners over Camborne to stay third. Launceston climbed above the Cockles with a 20-16 home win over Ivybridge and Okehampton were 23-11 home winners over Drybrook.

Withycombe started the year as they ended the old one, winning another Tribute Devon One m fixture, this latest success being 1 28-13 win in Plymouth against Old Technicians. Jimmy Holman and Rory Collins were amongst the try scorers for the 'Green and Blacks' who have now got a league record this season of played 12 and won 12!

In the day's other Devon One results; Tamar Saracens remain second to Withy after a 57-7 win at New Cross, but third placed Exeter Saracens went down 19-17 at home to Totnes. In the other games, Buckfastleigh Ramblers won 32-12 at Dartmouth and there was a single point, 15-14 win form Torrington at Ilfracombe while OPMs were 41-17 home winners over Plymouth Argaum.

Sidmouth RFC shared the spoils with table-topping Devonport Services, drawing with the Plymouth side 10-10 in an enthralling contest at the Blackmore. The draw means Sidmouth sixth in the South West One West table, 11 points behind leaders Devonport Services.

In the days other South West One West matches; Bridgwater & Albion were 37-3 home winners over Cleve; Lydney won 28-16 at Newent; Newton Abbot defeated visiting Keynsham 33-23; North Petherton were 31-17 home winners over Hornets and Chew Valley won a close encounter at Thornbury, 25-24.