South West Peninsula League

Division 1 East

Sunday 15th April 2018

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.02

Honiton Town 4 Torridgeside 2,  attendance 60

1’ 1-0

36’ 2-0 (pen)

59’ 3-0

65’ 3-1

79’ 3-2

86’ 4-2

@ Mountbatten Park

Ottery Moor Lane

Honiton

EX14 1AR

£3 Admission, included Programme (marked as £1 on front cover), 12 pages.

On Good Friday, Honiton Town should have been hosting the middle game, of three, on the South West Peninsula League Groundhop, but due to constant rain, the match was switched to the ground of Exwick Villa, with it’s 3G pitch, which I had visited when the ground was used by Exeter Civil Service, albeit a grass pitch in those days.

A conversation with the home club Secretary at 10.15 convinced me to travel to East Devon for this match, as although it had been raining all morning, the club were confident everything would be fine. Indeed it was, and although it was a little soft underfoot, the pitch was immaculate, despite the Reserves having played on it yesterday. The rain even stopped before kick off and apart from a five minute bit of drizzle during the first half, it remained dry and patches of blue sky began to appear during the second half.

Honiton were fourth off the bottom of the league table, with visitors Torridgeside safely in mid table. A goal in the first 50 seconds gave The Hippos a dream start, before the visitors had a man red carded, with the resultant penalty dispatched to make it 2-0. When a further goal was conceded there looked no way back for the 10 men, but they managed to score twice before Honiton finally notched their fourth goal to seal the three points.