THE top six teams in the Walter C Parson SW Peninsula League are all playing each other this weekend with the title race likely to be affected come Saturday evening.
Fourth-placed Newton Abbot Spurs head to Simmons Park to face sixth-placed Okehampton Argyle, having beaten local rivals Bovey Tracey AFC in their last outing. Argyle meanwhile are in quite the rough patch and defeat here would see them slip further away from the summit.
Sidmouth Town vs Cullompton Rangers pits the top two against each other and a Cully win would cut Sidmouth’s advantage to a single point, although it has to be noted that the leaders have two games in hand.
Broadley Lane is the location for the third of these mammoth matchups as Stoke Gabriel & Torbay Police look to bounce back from their defeat to Middlezoy Rovers last weekend. Even with that loss in mind, they are in a rich vein of form and so Bridport FC will have their work cut out for them away from home.
Also in the Peninsula League, the aforementioned Bovey welcome Middlezoy to Mill Marsh Park, knowing a win would take them above Torridgeside AFC and into ninth place.
A solitary Friday night game sees Teignmouth AFC go on the road to Crediton United and whilst the former may be four places and 11 points worse off in the standings, their four games in hand could significantly cut into that deficit, as could a win tonight of course.
Axminster Town vs Honiton Town and Bishops Lydeard vs Elburton Villa are the other two meetings in this league taking place this weekend.
Over to the Jewson’s Western Football League and having lost 3-0 to leaders Portishead Town on their travels last time out, Dan Hart’s Buckland Athletic have another away game of huge significance. Buckland and tomorrow’s opponent Barnstaple Town are both on 51 points, the latter in fifth and trailing only on goal difference with a game in hand up their sleeve.
Talking of two teams on the same tally and there is very little separating Ivybridge Town and Nailsea & Tickenham.
They both have 45 points to their respective name with Ivybridge’s goal difference tally just one higher as well. The pair will meet at Erme Valley tomorrow.
In the Southern League South, Tavistock AFC may be in the relegation zone still but there are a trio of teams just four points ahead and firmly within reach. Back-to-back clashes with seventh-placed Melksham Town await, going away on Saturday 8 and then hosting on Wednesday 12.
Cup action awaits again in the South Devon Football League with the Belli Cup throwing up some particularly interesting games.
Newton Spurs 2nds go to Beesands Rovers, East Allington United host Ilsington Villa at Poole Lane and Totnes & Dartington are away at Waldon Athletic.
There is league play as well as Kingsteignton Athletic take on Chudleigh Athletic and Buckfastleigh Rangers visit Newton 66’s Osborne Park in the Premier Division.
Buckland Athletic 2s host Ivybridge Town 2s at Homers Heath in a meeting between the Mid-Devon Advertiser and South Hams Gazette. Ivybridge may be rock bottom in Division One but secured a big win over Watcombe Wanderers last time out and so could be on the comeback trail.
Other fixtures of note in the SDFL include Newton Rovers (10th) vs East Allington 2nd XI (6th) in Division Two, Drake FC (2nd) vs Kingsteignton Athletic 2nd XI (4th) in Division Three and Broadhempston United (8th) vs Kingskerswell FC (1st) in Division Four.
Finally, to the Devon Football League and Bere Alston United head to Beer Albion, having just beaten them a few weeks ago on home soil.
Dartmouth AFC and Ipplepen Athletic are at home in the League Cup meanwhile, taking on Ottery St. Mary and DFL leaders Alphington respectively.