Mission 2024 is to chase the Ivies

The South West Peninsula League season is around the halfway point for most clubs and it is going to take a monumental effort for any team to dismount Ivybridge Town from their perch at the top of the East Division.

Unlike the West, where Liskeard and St Austell are locked in a two-horse race, with Holsworthy a respectable eighth, the East has been all about the Ivies, who have won 15 of their 17 fixtures and sit 12 points clear of Crediton United in second. Bridport, Cullompton Rangers and Sidmouth Town make up the rest of the top five.

The Christmas schedule took a moderate hit from the weather, three games surviving the deluge on Saturday, and one of those was another impressive procession from the Ivies, who trounced Torridgeside 6-2.

Luke Forward notched a hat-trick for the home side and there were further goals from Jack Alexander, Jake Lane and Chris Wright. Ivybridge next face a tricky tie at sixth-placed Newton Abott Spurs, while Torridgeside, who still need points to pull clear of the bottom two, have a tough game at Sidmouth.

The Vikings have been inspired over recent weeks and they were too strong for Torrington on the weekend, Louis Jagger-Cane, Ryan Finnimore and Luca Nickles all hitting the net in a 3-0 win over the Super Greens.

There was a great result for Stoke Gabriel in the other Saturday fixture, as they defeated local rivals Teignmouth 2-1 to cement their relative safety in mid-table. In a dramatic game, Stoke scored a penalty in the 94th minute, while the Teigns had a spot-kick saved in the 98th minute.

Stoke also beat Dartmouth 3-1 on Boxing Day and the situation looks very difficult for the Darts, who have picked up just two draws from their 20 fixtures, although they will hope for a bounce from a new management team at the club.

The Darts travel to Axminster Town on Saturday and the Tigers will be tough to beat on their own patch, as a couple of wins for the East Devon outfit could propel them into the top four. One other club to watch is Okehampton Argyle, who can also muscle their way into the leading pack if they win their games in hand.