WITH the South Devon Football League management issuing a wet weather protocol for only the third time this season, the signs for any games being played on grass pitches looked ominous, reports Alistair Muirden.

Buckfastleigh Rangers, Barton Athletic and Kingstiegnton Athletic were the trio of exceptions so a massive well done to their ground staff, however, on the flip side, those teams that play on artificial pitches are left wondering what all the fuss is about.

One of those teams are Division One side Plymouth Phoenix and they hosted Bovey Tracey in a top-of-the-table fixture at Devonport High School.

In a game that would not have been out of place at a higher level of football, it has to be said that the visitors came close to removing the unbeaten tag that Phoenix hold, but goals from JJ Honeywell and Jamie Grinrod were enough to move the home team into second place in the table.

Bovey drop to fourth, level on points with Windmill who enjoyed a fairly comfortable 6-2 win over Brixham Town. Brodie Simpson scored a brace and there were singles for Jack Briscoe, Louis Godwin, Miles Hunt and Ethen Jones.

In Division Two, it was top versus third as Barton Athletic dispatched Babbacombe Corries 6-0, spearheaded by an Oakley Hunt hat-trick.

The only other game played in Division Two was at Coach Road, where the supporters watched in comfort as Newton Rovers got an unexpected 3-2 win against Paignton Saints reserves to move themselves away from the danger zone. Goals from Jordan Bastow, Corey Luscombe and Owen Clausen were just enough to secure the points for the Newton Abbot side.

This division is unusual in that Barton are 12 points clear at the top with four games left to play, Mount Gould have seven games in hand, both East Allington Utd 2nds & Liverton Utd have six games in hand plus Watcombe Wanderers 2nds are 18 points behind with five games in hand.

In Division Three, only one game was played and that was at South Devon College where Totnes and Dartington continued to move up the table with a 7–1 win over Paignton Saints 3rds courtesy of a Jordan Baxter hat trick and a brace from Nick Warren with singles from Charlie Raggett and Jamie Easton. The result leaves the visitors 8 points behind second-placed Drake with 2 games in hand in what is another tight division.

There were no games that survived in Division Four but all the teams are way ahead of their fixtures and most should complete the season by the end of March.

In the Torbay Clearance Services Herald Cup, there were two games that not only survived the weather but they were also played on grass. The amazing work done by the ground staff at Buckfastleigh Rangers and Kingsteignton Athletic ensured that they passed inspections and it paid off as well with both home teams coming out on top.

Rangers won a tight all-Premier Division clash versus Paignton Saints by two goals to nil to set themselves up for a quarter-final against South Brent or Waldon Athletic.

The Rams had a more comfortable afternoon against division two side Liverton Utd, an 8–2 scoreline with goals from Matt Williams and Nick Garett who both scored twice. Also, there were singles from Dan Rankin, Tom Reeves, Nas Alfaresi and Mark Voisey which sets them up for the quarter-final tie of the round, away to Plymouth Phoenix.