NEWTON Abbot Spurs kept the pressure on Walter C Parson SW Peninsula League leaders Sidmouth Town with a 2-1 win over Okehampton Argyle on Saturday, April 5.

Tate Breslan-Aggrey and Aiden Blackie struck for Spurs shortly after the break following what their manager Marc Revell described as a “poor first half.”

Argyle forward Josh Coles halved the deficit in the late stages of the game but it proved to only be a consolation as the visitors fell to a 10th league defeat of the campaign.

With the sun beating down on an “extremely hard pitch”, it was particularly “hard to judge the ball” before the break, hence the lack of quality from both sides. Argyle boss Richard Washburn was “majorly impressed” with what he saw in the first 45, having only recently taken on the job at Simmons Park.

In his words, Argyle displayed a “Really good work rate- we contested first and second balls, so we were sat in that changing room with that belief that we could get something”, his opposite number noting that “the new manager has clearly re-energised them” after what has been a difficult season on and off of the field.

“The [Okehampton] lads will be disappointed [with the result] but in the short space of time since I’ve taken over, the attitude, the work rate and the talent is there, we just need training sessions and to get one or two players in in the summer.”

For Spurs, this win all but confirms that second place is theirs with outside hopes of chasing down Sidmouth. Both sides have three games left to play this season and given the latter have a six-point advantage and a superior goal difference, Spurs have a sizable mountain to climb but it is not impossible and the two cross paths next!

Back to the game and Revell sang the praises of young Blackie, who has been back-and-forth between the 1st team and Spurs’ reserves, who are doing well themselves in the South Devon Football League.

“He scored his first the other day” as Spurs overcame Axminster Town at The Rec and “he has deserved to score a few more.”

Revell continued, “I have been a massive admirer of his for a couple of years. This has been a chance for him to test himself and he is now up to speed at this level. It is a shame that we are this late in the season to be honest.”

“Phenomenal” was another word used to describe the goalscorer, going on to say that he is “A 15/20 goal-a-season forward” and “hopefully he kicks on next year.”

The two managers are at very different spells of their tenures with Revell set to depart at the end of this season and Washburn having only just taken over at Argyle. The latter spoke with bags of optimism: “I think the future is really bright for Okehampton, going into 2025/26. We have a chance in the next couple of games to express ourselves, get ready for next season and learn, we’ll learn from this today, these are one of the top teams in the league after all.”

Argyle will close out their campaign with a trio of away trips, to Axminster Town, Crediton United and Bishops Lydeard whilst Spurs have clashes with leaders Sidmouth, local rivals Teignmouth AFC and also Torrington AFC to come.