THE South Devon Football League sprung back into action following two weeks that were littered with postponements- bringing 139 goals from 25 games and plenty of Monday morning talking points for the workplace, reports Alistair Muirden.

PREMIER DIVISION

In the game of the day at the top of the Premier Division, Ilsington Villa moved three points clear with a fantastic 3–1 victory at The Rec. Goals from Jack and Daniel Langford aided by a superb strike from Jack Dixon gives the current champions a bit of breathing space with just six games to play.

Strangely enough, it was a game that Spurs could afford to lose and they remain well placed with 10 games remaining and 11 points behind, Harry Ford scoring for them on the day.

The shock result was down at Elburton Villa, a 3-0 victory over Buckfastleigh Rangers taking them away from the foot of the table and out of the bottom two. Kai Foster and Keiron Roberts made the difference for Villa.

CUP TIES

There were some delayed cup ties that finally got played and whilst Waldon Athletic showed their class with a 6–1 win at Division Three-outfit South Brent, Plymouth True Blues vs East Allington Utd went to extra time. It took a couple of substitutions by the True Blues to find the goals, Ben Woodman and Raine Chinnock scoring from the bench to send the Plymouth side into the last eight of the Herald Cup.

The two teams at the bottom of the Premier Division both met in the cup at Loddiswell, the home of Beesands Rovers, but it was visitors Chudleigh Athletic who forced extra time and came out of the South Hams with a 5–3 win.

In the Premier Division Belli Cup, Paignton Saints had arguably the best result of the day, in a game that ended 1–1 after extra time. The dreaded penalty shootout produced a 4–2 win for the Saints and gives them a cup semi-final to look forward to and leaves the Rams needing to win at Phoenix next week to keep some cup interest at the club.

DIVISION ONE

It took Bovey Tracey 2nd XI just 23 seconds to open the scoring in their 8-1 thrashing of Buckland Athletic 2nd XI at Homers Heath. Man of the match John Agpoon scored four with Sam Barnes adding a hat trick plus a single from Tom Mudge, moving the moorland side into second place in what is still very tight at the top.

If it is tight at the top, it’s even closer at the bottom with last-place Ivybridge Town boosting their own confidence with a 3-2 win over Watcombe Wanderers. Lewis Woodmore and Zac Steele were on target for the Greens.

WBB were in action for the first time in 2025 having come close to folding and the new-look Claymen took all three points from Brixham Town, Mark Griffiths rolling back the years as the target man.

As for Brixham, they have two games in hand on the team above them and are just five points from mid-table and with nine games still to play, there are more than enough points on offer.

A delayed third-round Herald Cup game saw Windmill overcome Ashburton and will face either Bovey Tracey or Ivybridge in the next round. In the Division One Dartmouth Cup, Newton Spurs 3rds led a two-goal advantage slip in normal time and then conceded twice more in extra-time to lose 5-3 at the hands of Plymouth Phoenix.

DIVISION TWO

In Division Two, it was top versus bottom and true to form, Barton Athletic moved 15 points clear at the top with five games to play after a 5-nil win over Ipplepen Athletic.

Paignton Villa 2nds moved into third place and put a dent in East Allington Utd’s promotion hopes, a 4-nil home win for Villa leaves them with not enough games in hand to make up the difference but the Pirates are 20 points behind with 6 games in hand.

Liverton Utd had a close 2–1 victory at Buckfastleigh Rangers 2nds and the win leaves them 17 points behind and with 6 games in hand who knows?

Babbacombe Corries also had a good win on the road, a 4–1 win at Newton Rovers thanks to goals from Ben and Lee Mcarthur, James Houghton and Daniel Loughton keeps Corries level on points and games with Paignton Villa.

DIVISION THREE

In the Division Three Ronald Cup game that has been postponed since Valentine’s Day, there was certainly no love lost in the top-of-the-table tie between Drake FC and Stoke Gabriel TP. The game started with 22 players on the pitch and finished with 18 and a 3–2 win for the visitors, goals from Daniel Tresize, Mitch Macmillan, Max Prestwood and Phattanawit Buntam were enough to put the Bees into the semi-final.

Newton Abbot 66 2nds also made it through to the semis with a 4–2 win at Brixham Town 2nds.

In the only league game to be played, Kingsteignton Athletic 2nds moved into fourth place with a comfortable 5-nil win over Paignton Saints 3rds, Keiron Hale was on target twice and Ryan Sanders, Ashton Hogarth and Finley Lumgair also found the net.

DIVISION FOUR

Division Four was reduced to just four cup ties that saw unbeaten Kingskerswell stroll past Barton Athletic 2nds by four goals to one, Templar Way also have a comfortable afternoon versus Kingsbridge and Kellaton Utd with a 6-nil victory and Paignton Villa 3rds advance to the semi-finals as well, beating Waldon Athletic 3rds 3-1.

The last quarter-final game to report was a tough local derby between Teign Village and Chudleigh Athletic 2nds. Goals from Daniel Martin and Charlie Forey were just enough to drown out the noise from the Villagers to put Chudleigh into the semi-finals.

PREVIEWS

There are a host of interesting games to catch this week.

If you are heading to a game in Plymouth, the Division One clash at Millenium pitches between Windmill and Bovey Tracey could decide who takes an advantage in the race for top-flight football next season or the Division Three promotion clash at Manadon sports centre, where Drake FC meet Kingsteignton Ath 2nds.

The first silverware of the season could be witnessed at Broadhempston Utd where visitors Kingskerswell could wrap up the Division Four title with a win but my game of the day is in the Premier Division at Osborne Park, where Newton Abbot 66 clash with Buckfastleigh Rangers in a game that the away team must win to stay in contention.

Finally good, luck to the three South Devon League teams that have reached the semi-finals of the county senior cup where the league are guaranteed a finalist, as Mount Gould host Plymouth Phoenix and in the other tie, Plymouth True Blues welcome Exeter University.