football generic

Another wet Saturday and another cancellation as Exmouth Town’s game at Appledore fell victim to the weather, in fact all the SWPL East Division games were postponed on the final Saturday of 2012, writes John Dibsdall.

This latest casualty means that five out of Town’s last six league games have been cancelled. The fixture has been rearranged and Town will now make the long trip to North Devon on Easter Monday. The matches against Teignmouth and Budleigh Salterton will both be played mid week with the local derby scheduled for April 24.

This Saturday Town will be hoping for better fortune when they are due to visit Totnes and Dartington. The sides met in a Devon Premier Cup tie at Southern Road in early November when Town ran out comfortable 5-1 winners.

The remainder of the first month of the year sees Town host Alphington (Jan 12) and Crediton United (Jan 26) and travel to Teignmouth (Jan 19).

As we enter the New Year Town are lying fourth in their league with games in hand over all their rivals. Newton Abbot Spurs now top the division following a 3-1 victory at Teignmouth on Boxing Day just two points ahead of Town but have played four games more. In the only other game played Stoke Gabriel were surprisingly beaten 5-1 at home by Galmpton, which means they remain a point behind Town who have played two games less.

Town’s record in all competitions this season is most impressive. Of nineteen matches played they have won sixteen, drawn two with the only reverse coming in the FA Vase when they went down 2-1 to Toolstation Western League outfit Sherborne Town with the winner coming in added time. They have scored fifty one goals and conceded eighteen with thirteen players on the score sheet.

Dan Boere is the leading goal scorer with ten followed by Ace High and Ben Shephard with nine apiece and Andrew Thomson on six.

The New Year also sees with continuing interest in both the Devon Premier Cup and the Throgmorton Cup. The latter sees them in the last eight with SWP League Premier Division sides Elburton Villa, Saltash United, Newquay and Tavistock, Western Division promotion chasers Helston plus the winners of the two remaining ties, Camelford or Stoke Gabriel (meeting this coming Saturday) and the all Premier Division clash between Bodmin Town and Torpoint Athletic.