North Devon Derby: Looking back at the best of Barnstaple Town and Bideford’s Southern League clashes

The North Devon derby between Barnstaple Town and Bideford would have been one of the picks of the local sporting calendar over the Easter weekend.

The two sides would have met at Mill Road on Easter Monday (April 12) in BetVictor Division One South, but for the cancellation of the non-league season last month due to coronavirus.

The Robins and Barum have met seven times since Barnstaple were promoted to the Southern League in 2016. Here are some of their memorable match-ups.

Bideford 2-1 Barnstaple Town (August 29, 2016)

A crowd of 884 watched a first league match-up between the two sides since 2010 and the first in the Southern League as Barry Yeo’s freshly-promoted Barnstaple Town visited the Sports Ground.

Liam Gregory’s strike from 20 yards gave Barum the lead after 20 minutes in a dominant first half.

But the Robins came back after the break. Sean Downing equalised 10 minutes after the restart before Dan Western scored the winner 10 minutes from time and celebrated with the Kingsley Road Crew.

Barnstaple Town 1-2 Bideford (August 28, 2017)

Ryan Turner returned to Mill Road to break Barum hearts in the first meeting between the sides in the 2017/18 season.

Turner, Craig Allan, James Mayne and Steve Oliver were lining up for Bideford this time around against Richard Pears’ Barum, having played under Barry Yeo the previous season.

Turner gave Bideford the lead inside 15 minutes, but the visitors were forced to play the second half with 10 men after Ian Sampson was sent off. Billy Tucker scored a second, having missed a penalty earlier in the match, before Chris Ibbeson set up a nail-biting finish.

Bideford 1-1 Barnstaple Town (December 26, 2017)

Barnstaple haven’t beaten Bideford in Division One South – their only success a 4-1 win in the Southern League Challenge Cup in 2016 – but they took points off the Robins with a late goal in this rain-sodden Boxing Day clash.

In atrocious conditions at the Sports Ground, Craig Duff had given Bideford the lead seven minutes into the second half.

Nathan Cooper scored the equaliser in the 90th minute at the end of a well-worked move, tapping in after Jordan Walton sent a low ball into the area after a quick free kick.

Barnstaple Town 1-4 Bideford (December 26, 2018)

Ryan Turner once again did the damage with a hat-trick against his former club in what was Aaron Harper-Penman’s first home match in charge of Barnstaple Town.

Turner popped up with two typical striker’s goals in a frenetic first half, scoring either side of a low strike from Barum captain Jack Jenkins.

Two second half penalties for the Robins ensured they took all three points back down the A39, with Sean Downing converting one midway through half before Turner completed his hat-trick with a spot-kick in stoppage time.

Bideford 3-2 Barnstaple Town (December 26, 2019)

This match – the most entertaining of the lot – will now go down as the match that never was, with the season’s 2019/20 results set to be expunged.

It was something of a six-pointer for the two sides at the time, with Bideford lingering down near the bottom of the table with Barnstaple.

Dean Edwards’ Barum twice took the lead. Kai Fisher headed them into the lead after seven minutes, and Tornado Bello scored a second for Barum just before half-time after Ben Carter had equalised with a well-taken strike.

The Robins took charge in the second half. Ryan Turner was on target seven minutes after the break before Toby Down put them in front with 20 minutes remaining.