Budleigh Salterton produced some tremendous attacking football to secure a 4-2 victory at Topsham Town in the Devon Football League, writes Alan Beer.

A super game of football opened with Budleigh grabbing the lead on ten minutes, Oscar Walsh feeding a cross into the six-yard box for the predatory Jack Hocking to convert. Topsham struck the woodwork before Jake Chudley cut inside for a near-post finish to double the lead.

The Robins were in cruise mode when they notched a third on the counter, Walsh finishing past the beleaguered home ‘keeper. Topsham reduced the arears with an excellent free-kick five minutes before the interval.

Budleigh rediscovered their impetus early in the second period, Walsh supplying the perfect deep cross for Chudley to score his second. Topsham grabbed another goal on 68 minutes but this Budleigh’s day to take the East Devon plaudits.

Before the kick-off of the Devon & Exeter Football League Division 3 fixture between local rivals, Budleigh Salterton 2nds and East Budleigh 2nds, a minute’s silence was observed in memory of the league’s former secretary Chris Davey, who was also a previous manager of Budleigh Salterton, writes SpursTom.

Once the starting whistle was blown, the hosts Budleigh Salterton set out to consolidate their position at the top of the table for the Christmas period. It was actually, the East Budleigh Jays who squandered the first opportunity to take the lead.  

By the 18th minute, the Robins demonstrated their sharpness in front of goal, when Brandon Hodge opened the scoring.  Within two more minutes the lead was doubled by Greg MacMartin, before the visitor’s defence was sliced open once more for Paul Barnes to make it 3-0 before the break.

Budleigh’s superiority in midfield kept carving chances, and with that four additional goals were struck.  Substitute Melchoir Manowski got the fourth, Hodge got his second with No.5, Greg MacMartin completed his hat-trick with goals 6 and 7.  A fine performance by the Robins deserving the clean sheet, and the top position of the division.