Sidmouth Town bagged a third successive league victory for only the third time in five years as they defeated Stoke Gabriel 6-0 at Manstone Lane.
It’s unusual when, having won 6-0, and completing a third successive win, a manger comes across as ‘frustrated’, but that’s exactly what Vikings’ boss Danny Burwood was after Saturday’s game.
Scott Hughes and Lukie White both scored twice and there were single goals from Will Jenkins and Joe Mckenzie.
Burwood said: “I know it sounds glib, but the bottom line is we were certainly nowhere near as good against Stoke Gabriel as we had been in either of three two previous games.
“Before the match Kev [Tooze] and I had sat the lads down and made it clear that the next 90 minutes of football would go one of two ways. The lads could go out with the wrong attitude, all try and score and end up making a mess of things, just edging victory, or they could go out and be as professional as possible and clinical in the final third and rack up a huge score.
“Now, I do not mean that with any disrespect to Stoke Gabriel, but they have been shipping goals for fun.
“Sadly, the lads took option one and it needed some strong half-time words to snap them out of what we saw as a general lethargy and, to be fair, in the final half hour of the contest, the lads finally stepped up to deliver what we had hoped we’d see for the full 90 minutes.”
Tomorrow (Saturday) Town entertain Bovey Tracey and another victory would take the Vikings into unchartered waters with four successive league victories not achieved by a Town senior team for many seasons.
Burwood says: “It is certainly the case that ‘opportunity knocks’ for the lads. We are a young side and things are going very well for us right now and moments like these don’t come along too often.
“It’s a chance to make some headlines that will stick for some time if we can achieve a fourth straight win.
“It won’t be easy, for Bovey are a very capable side and I do believe they are in a false position in the table.
“However, we are at home, we have won three on the spin, and now the moment has arrived for this young Town team to make a headline or two with a fourth successive win.”
Bovey Tracey won last time out, some 10 days ago beating Honiton Town 6-3 in a midweek fixture, but have not played since.
In six league away games so far this season they have lost four, going down at Dartmouth (1-2, Crediton United (1-3), Ilfracombe Town (0-8) and Millbrook(1-3), while they have won at Stoke Gabriel (18-1) and at Holsworthy (2-1).
Town have no selection worries and so all are fit and raring to go for the game that kicks off at Manstone Lane at 3pm.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here