Budleigh Salterton took on two tricky away games in the Devon Football League over the Easter weekend.

First on the list was a trip to Barnstaple Town Reserves on Saturday and the Robins struggled to find their normal attacking fluency, eventually going down to a 2-0 defeat in North Devon.

However, the response from that setback was a superb 5-3 victory at Newtown on Easter Monday. Jack Hocking grabbed a hat-trick and there was a double from Morgan Pearce in a game that moved Budleigh up to respectable fourth position, just a point behind North Molton and Appledore in second and third.

Budleigh host the University on April 19 and North Molton are the visitors three days later.

The Fishermen of Beer Albion are 14 points clear at the top of the division with three games remaining, although second-placed North Molton do have games in hand. However, if the unbeaten Beer boys can secure a couple more wins, the title will head to the Furzebrake.

Beer travelled to North Molton for a decisive fixture on Good Friday and scored the winner on just four minutes, George Roberts finding the net from a Jacob Rowe corner. North Molton threw everything at their visitors, twice hitting the woodwork, but Beer held out for a victory that takes them to the brink of glory.

Beer followed that massive win with an equally stoic display at third-placed Appledore on Monday, where a solitary strike from Charlie Ledger was enough to bag all three points.

Budleigh Salterton 2nds completed their home fixtures with a Devon & Exeter League Division Four encounter against local rivals Sidmouth Town 3rds, in front of an excellent crowd in attendance at Greenway Lane on Saturday, writes SpursTom.

This was your typical local fixture where no quarter was given, as the Robins and the Vikings fought for supremacy.  Yes, there was plenty of action, including crunching tackles, lots of energy used, but the sides were cancelling each other out, hence not enough goalmouth action.  

Many chances were missed, and with both goalkeepers having to deal only with routine savea, it inevitably ended all square at 0-0, which both sides regarded as a fair result.