Weather wrecking normal football patterns

Relentless rain, waterlogged pitches and cup commitments has given a distorted feel to the semi-professional league tables for Devon football clubs, with the plight of Plymouth Parkway and Tiverton in the Southern Premier a prime example.

Parkway and Tivvy are on the same points, two clear of the drop zone, but the Plymouth side have played five games less than their Mid-Devon rivals. Basingstoke, who are two places above Parkway, have played nine more games.

It all means that Parkway will have time to climb the table but also a brutal fixture schedule in the second half of the season. Their home game with Winchester City on Saturday was, you guessed it, postponed, and sharing Bolitho Park with Truro City is placing a huge strain on the pitch.

Tivvy did get some Saturday action but were unable to contain second-placed Salisbury City in a 4-2 defeat, and the weekend visit of Hayes & Yeading is looking like a crucial game, with just one point separating the teams in a fight to stay clear of the bottom four.

In Division One South of the Southern League, Bideford are on the march, just four points behind leaders Wimborne Town and with a game in hand, although Cribbs, in second, are another major title contender.

The Robins of Bideford took on a tough trip to Bristol Manor Farm on Saturday and delivered another dramatic finale, something of a theme for the club this season. Mattie Buchan and Finn Roberts both notched for the Robins to make it 2-2 as the game headed into stoppage time, when Josh Webber popped up with a glorious winner.

While the picture is looking rosy for Bideford, it is looking gloomy for Exmouth Town at the bottom. Following the withdrawal of Hamworthy United from the league, only one team will be relegated and Exmouth are lead candidates at present, sitting five points adrift, although there was no shame in a 4-1 loss to leaders Wimborne on Saturday.

The two other Devon clubs in this division, Tavistock and Willand Rovers, were due to play each other on Saturday but the weather won that duel. Both Tavvy and Willand look fairly comfortable in mid-table, but a strong run could see them ask questions of the current play-off residents in the second half of the season.

The Devon trio of Buckland Athletic, Brixham and Barnstaple Town are all lingering near the top positions in the Toolstation Western League.

Buckland, who have two Cup quarter-finals to play at the end of January, were the big movers on Saturday, as they crushed Welton Rovers 5-0 at Homers Heath. A crowd of 280 were treated to a terrific Jared Lewington hat-trick and further goals from Teigan Rosenquest and Ryan Bush.

Barnstaple’s clash with high-flying Helston Athletic fell foul of the weather but Brixham did get some action in North Devon, drawing 0-0 at a resilient Ilfracombe Town, who are well clear of any danger in mid-table.

Only three games survived the sludge in the South West Peninsula League East Division, where Ivybridge Town extended their incredible lead at the top to 15 points with a 4-0 victory at ten-man Newton Abbot Spurs, Jack Alexander (2), Jake Lane and Bailey Milbin scoring the goals for the Ivies.

Bottom club Dartmouth fought valiantly at Axminster Town before slipping to a 4-0 defeat, Charlie Wilson and Sam Sheldrake notching braces for the Tigers. Axminster climbed to fifth with their win. The final game was an entertaining 2-2 draw between Teignmouth and Okehampton Argyle.

The top three all recorded wins in the Devon Football League to maintain the status quo. Appledore are a point clear after a 3-1 triumph at Ipplepen. Second-placed University of Exeter won by the same score at home to Plymstock United and Beer Albion, in third, trounced lowly Feniton 5-2 in the East Devon derby. Lakeside Athletic are the other title contenders in this league.