Devon clubs striving for Southern League safety

After a stodgy start to the Southern League season for three Devon clubs, Bideford, Tavistock and Willand Rovers have opened a small gap on the bottom four in Division One South.

Cup duties had left Tavvy playing catch up in recent weeks but a battling 2-2 draw with Malvern Town on Saturday was a demonstration of the determination within Stuart Henderson’s squad, Liam Prynn and Luke Steer scoring the goals to earn a deserved point.

Bideford, meanwhile, faced a tricky encounter against a Bemerton Heath Harlequins side knocking on the door of the play-offs, but this game was all about the resurgent Robins.

Louie Slough opened the scoring for Bideford seven minutes before half-time and that was extended by a Will Tucker strike midway through the second period. The Quins pulled one back to set up a tense finish but Josh Webber’s injury-time goal confirmed a 3-1 win for the North Devon club.

Willand, meanwhile, grabbed a late equaliser from Douglas Camilo, scoring with a brilliant volley to draw 1-1 with Didcot Town, despite playing for over an hour with ten men following the dismissal of Owen Howe, who it was announced had left the club on Sunday.

At the top end of the table, Exmouth Town are three points behind leaders Yate Town after an early goal from Tom Bath gave them a 1-0 victory at Westbury United. Exmouth play Willand in a midweek derby at Southern Road, while Tavistock host Melksham on Saturday and Bideford travel to Thatcham Town.

In the Premier Division, both Tiverton Town and Plymouth Parkway are struggling in the bottom four, although Parkway picked up a valuable point with a 2-2 draw at Swindon Supermarine. Tiverton had a weekend break from football, so took the chance to sign Antigua & Barbuda international forward Nathaniel Jarvis.