Recent trips up the North Devon Link Road when in pursuit of league points have seen the Cockles win two and lose three of their last five visits.

Exmouth Journal: James Harris in action for the Cockles in the win at Cleve. Picture TIM RIDGEWAYJames Harris in action for the Cockles in the win at Cleve. Picture TIM RIDGEWAY (Image: Archant)

This season’s meeting at Barum was back in November when the Cockles were edged out 25-21 – though the reverse fixture at the Imperial Ground saw the Cockles win 24-12, with that meeting being as recently as March 2.

Prior to this season, the last visit had been on February 2017 for a National Two encounter that Barum won 13-6 and the year before the contest was even closer with Barum winning by a margin of just three points, 23-20.

The last Exmouth success at Barnstaple came in the 2015/16 campaign when the sides met in a National Three (S) meeting that the Cockles won 16-7 and, the year before, the Cockles enjoyed a 34-18 victory.

The sides also met at the start of the 2011/12 season for a National League Three (SW) contest that Barum won 17-13.

Barnstaple went through their league campaign losing just one of their 13 home games, with that one defeat being against the only side to finish the league term above them, Bournemouth, who won 16-7 on their visit to North Devon in mid December.

Barum’s home league results have seen them score 50 plus points twice – an early season 53-27 mauling of Camborne and then a March, 62-8 win over Newton Abbot.

In terms of away matches this past league campaign, the Cockles have won three times. The first away success was a 25-21 victory at Newton Abbot and they also won 31-20 at Old Patesians prior to last Saturday’s 38-20 win at Cleve. This year’s away form is marginally better than last year when the Cockles won away twice – claiming a 22-20 success at Camborne and a 40-29 victory at Ivybridge.

In the 2016/17 campaign – a short stay in National League Two (S) – the Cockles did not win any of their way games, but they had a good away campaign in the 2015/16 National League Three (SW), winning at no fewer than eight venues.