Three cheers for the SDFL groundstaff

With the Torbay Clearance Services South Devon Football League management team issuing a wet weather protocol for only the third time this season, the signs for any games being played on grass pitches looked ominous.

And so it was, with the exception of just three clubs Buckfastleigh Rangers, Barton Athletic and Kingstiegnton Athletic, where somehow the groundstaff managed to beat the weather and prepare their pitches for play.

A massive well done to them, however on the flip side, those teams that play on artificial pitches are left wondering what all the fuss is about.

One of those teams are Division One side Plymouth Phoenix. Despite being behind with their league fixtures, mainly caused by away postponements and County Cup progress, they were able to host Bovey Tracey in a top of the table fixture at Devonport High School.

In a game that would not have been out of place at a higher level of football, the visitors came close to removing the unbeaten tag that Phoenix hold, but goals from JJ Honeywell and Jamie Grinrod were enough to move the home team into second place in the table, three points behind the leaders True Blues with three games in hand.

Bovey drop to fourth place, level on points with Windmill, who had a fairly comfortable afternoon, winning 6-2 against Brixham Town, Brodie Simpson scored a brace and there were singles for Jack Briscoe, Louis Godwin, Miles Hunt and Ethen Jones.

It is very tight at the top of Division One with the top four still having to play each other, so there are some great games ahead.

In Division Two, it was top versus third at Barton Downs and it was the home team, Barton Athletic, who defeated Babbacombe Corries 6-0 thanks to a hat trick from Oakley Hunt and singles from James Thomas and Zach Norton.

Barton were helped by an own goal but one of their players could not help himself and they had to see out the game with ten players.

As previously reported, this division is unusual in that Barton are 12 points clear at the top with four games left to play. Mount Gould have seven games in hand and both East Allington United 2nds and Liverton United have six games in hand, plus Watcombe Wanderers 2nds are 18 points behind with five games in hand, so Barton, who have led the division all season could end up missing out once those midweek games get played.

The only other fixture played in Division Two was at Coach Road, where the supporters watched in comfort as Newton Rovers got an unexpected win against Paignton Saints reserves to move themselves away from the danger zone, recording a 3-2 victory thanks to goals from Jordan Bastow, Corey Luscombe and Owen Clausen, just enough to secure the points for the Newton Abbot side.

In Division Three, only one game was played and that was at South Devon College, where Totnes and Dartington continued to move up the table with a 7-1 win over Paignton Saints 3rds, courtesy of a Jordan Baxter hat-trick and a brace from Nick Warren with singles from Charlie Raggett and Jamie Easton. The result leaves the visitors eight points behind second-placed Drake with two games in hand in another tight division.

There were no games that survived in Division Four but all the teams are way ahead of their fixtures and most should complete the season by the end of March.

In the Torbay Clearance Services Herald Cup, there were two games that not only survived the weather, they were played on grass, the amazing work done by the groundstaff at Buckfastleigh Rangers and Kingsteignton Athletic ensured that they passed inspections and both games went with the home teams.

Rangers won a tight all Premier Division clash versus Paignton Saints by two goals to nil to set themselves up for a quarter-final against South Brent or Waldon Athletic.

The Rams had a more comfortable afternoon against Division Two side Liverton, an 8-2 scoreline with goals from Matt Williams and Nick Garett, who both scored twice, and there were singles from Dan Rankin, Tom Reeves, Nas Alfaresi and Mark Voisey to set them up for the quarter-final tie of the round away to Plymouth Phoenix.

Games to catch on Saturday:

The wet weather of the last two weeks is causing the fixture secretary some concern as cup-final season is approaching fast, but these outstanding cup games do take priority over league games, so at the third attempt to play these games, I can recommend the fixtures at South Brent, who welcome Waldon Athletic, Beesands Rovers versus Chudleigh Athletic, a local derby at Teign Village against Chudleigh Athletic 2nds, these cup games kick off at 2pm.

But my game of the day is the Premier League clash at the Rec between Newton Abbot Spurs 2nds and league leaders Ilsington Villa, which has a 2.30pm kick off.

Enjoy your grassroots football.