Exmouth RFC won their final South West Premier game of the season at Cleve but Withy went down at Lanner while, in football, Town Reserves drew and Lympstone boosted their Division Three title hoeps with a win at rivals Ottery.

Exmouth Town were not in action on the second Saturday of April, but title rivals Tavistock were and their 4-0 home win over basement side Sticker means the title race is still on course for both Town and Tavistock to finish the league campaign with the same number of points!

After today’s game Town remain top with 85 points from 34 games with matches remaining against Cullompton Rangers (away on Good Friday) and at Bodmin Town on Saturday, April 27.

Tavistock are second with 82 points having played a game fewer and their remaining three games are Home versus Saltash Athletic (Good Friday); home versus Helston (Monday, April 22) and away to Plymouth Argyle on Saturday, April 27.

The top four as at Saturday evening (April 13) reads

EXMOUTH TOWN - 85 points from 34 games

Tavistock 82 points from 33

Saltash United 73 points from 34

Plymouth Argyle Res 72 points from 33

In terms of the other East Devon-based sides in the SWP League; Honiton Town shared six goals with hosts Teignmouth and Axminster Town won 5-0 at Waldon Athletic while Sidmouth Town were without a game – though they do host Axminster Town in a floodlit derby at Manstone Lane on Tuesday evening (April 16).

In Macron League football, in the Premier Division, Exmouth Town Reserves were held to a 0-0 draw by Lyme Regis. Other East Devon team results were: Beer Albion went down 6-1 at home to Exwick Villa while Feniton were beaten 4-1 by visiting Colyton. Upottery also lost at home, they were beaten 1-0 by Cronies. while the Exmouth Town Reserves versus Lyme Regis meeting ended without a goal at either end of the pitch.

In Division One there was a splendid 4-2 home win for Sidmouth Town Reserves against Kentisbeare. Tipton St John lost their Division Two game at Honiton Town Reserves 3-2 while, in Division Three, Ottery had their title hopes dented by a 3-0 home defeat to a Lympstone side that now has sufficient games in hand to overhaul the Otters for the top honour – through the pair must meet again before the end of the campaign in what really is now looking like a ‘winner takes all’ encounter. East Budleigh remain in the hunt for top three finish, but they could only bank point fro their meeting at home with Clyst valley, a game that ended 1-1…

Beer Reserves shared four goals with hosts Otterton in another Division Three encounter.

RUGBY

Exmouth RFC had a winning end to their South West Premier season as they won 28-20 at Cleve while Withycombe, who will drop a division, lost their final Tribute Cornwall and Devon game, going down 25-9 at Lanner and the Raleigh Park men end the term as the basement side in the division.

As for the other East Devon teams and their respective results on the final Saturday of the league campaign; Sidmouth were crowned champions of the Tribute Western Counties champions.

The Chiefs went into the final match day of the league campaign knowing that if they did not win their game at Saltash then the likelihood was that they would not even finish in a top three berth. However, what just as clear was that victory at Saltash and the title would be there’s.

Chiefs won 40-11 in Cornwall and it was just as well for the other two chasing the title in a close conclusion to the league season also won. Crediton defeated visiting Wadebridge Camels 38-26 and Wellington won their Somerset derby at Chard 43-12.

All that meant that the top three all ended the season having topped 100 points with Chiefs winning the title by virtue of them accruing 103 points with Crediton, on 101, second and Wellington, with 100, having to settle for third.

Honiton finished as runners-up in the Tribute Cornwall and Devon division after they won their final game at home to Topsham 67-26 while the only team to start the day above them ion the table, Penryn, defeated Plymouth Albion oaks 66-7 to secure the title, but Honiton will, like Sidmouth, be stepping up a level next season.