North Molton Stags plotting a DFL comeback

It has been a mixed bag start to the season for local sides in the Devon Football League with North Molton battling to pull away from the bottom three and Appledore locked in mid-table.

A 5-2 defeat at home to Beer Albion on Saturday was particularly harsh on the Stags, who led the game with goals from Sam Phillips and Joe Southcott but were overturned by a Beer blitz befitting a side in the top four.

North Molton’s one league win so far came with a 2-1 success at Newtown, Phillips and Josh Stoneman scoring the goals, and they have played a number of the leading sides already. After a Devon derby with Appledore in the Cup, the Stags travel to third-placed Topsham Town on Saturday.

Appledore are sitting seventh in the table, just three points off the top three and now on a run of three games unbeaten after an entertaining 3-2 triumph over Budleigh Salterton, Phil Kelly bagging a brace and Kai Dymond coming off the bench for a decisive third.

The latest win came hot on the heels of a 3-0 defeat of Elmore, Matt Bryce, Oscar Jarrett and Stephen Skinner on target for an Appledore side that will have their work cut out with a testing trip to runaway leaders Alphington on Saturday.

In the West division of the South West Peninsula League, Holsworthy have four wins and four defeats from their opening two months of action, results that unsurprisingly leave them in mid-table.

A long trip to Penzance led to a 2-0 defeat on the weekend and after a midweek County Cup visit from Sidmouth Town, the Magpies host lowly Millbrook in the league.

It was a weekend away from league action for Torrington in the East Division and they will be desperate to turn around six-match winless run that has seen the Super Greens drop to tenth in the table. Sidmouth Town are the visitors on Saturday, followed by a long trip to Stoke Gabriel.

Torridgeside lost 3-0 at Paulton Rovers in the FA Vase and have a big game at bottom club Axminster on Saturday.