BUCKLAND Athletic 2nd XI’s resurgent form in the South Devon Football League’s Division One continued with a home victory on Saturday, May 2.

The rain was pouring down at Homers Heath but the Yellows couldn’t be stopped, an early strike from PJ Sharples making the difference against Paignton Villa.

Sharples latched onto a through-ball and remained calm to sweep his side ahead with less than five minutes on the clock.

They couldn’t have hoped for a better start and despite growing stronger and stronger, the second goal eluded them.

At the other end, Villa had a couple of opportunities in the first half but Bucks goalkeeper Harry Meaden was out quickly to thwart their advances.

In the middle of the park, Buckland were notably dominant and were running the game, their technical players then linking up well with attacking duo Sharples and Kai Swann, both of whom were good outlets.

It was a commanding 45 minutes with the weather playing something of a part, followed by a goalless second half.

Buckland remain in eighth after this victory and are building the gap between themselves and the sides below them, although all of them have multiple games in hand still to cash in on.

There was plenty of drama elsewhere in the SDFL and perhaps none more so than at Osborne Park, where Newton Abbot 66 played host to The Windmill in the top-flight.

First place visited 10th place and with the leaders five goals to the good at the turnaround, nobody would have anticipated what would follow.

Strikes from Liam Ashwell (2), Joe Clark-Farley, Luke Snell and substitute Freddie Hulance saw 66 come back and rescue the most unlikely of points.

This slip-up for the Windmill means that Plymouth True Blues are now 12 points behind them with three games in hand.

It was a week of draws for Ilsington Villa too, firstly in their Herald Cup semi-final clash against Paignton Saints. With the pair locked together at 1-1 after 120 minutes, it went to a penalty shootout which Saints won 4-2.

A few days later, Ilsington then hosted Totnes & Dartington for a league fixture and four goals were shared evenly, Joe Algar and Jamie Soper scoring for Villa.

Also in the Premier Division, Chudleigh Athletic moved up to eighth with a 4-2 win away at East Allington United. Jack Salmon, who the night before scored the goal to win Chudleigh’s ressies the Les Bishop Cup over Bere Alston United 2nds, struck thrice in the South Hams.

Returning to Division One and WBB and Bovey Tracey 2nd XI both won league games in midweek (beating Newton Spurs 3rds and Liverton United respectively) ahead of their meeting in the Dartmouth Cup semis.

Bovey advance to the final thanks to a 3-2 win at Abbrook Park, Olly Clifford-Bourne, Simon Laughton and Brad Rooney with the decisive goals.

The Moorlanders have two cup finals to look forward to now, first taking on Elburton Villa 2nds at Erme Valley on Friday (Apr 8) in this one and then meeting WBB once more. The Devon Senior Cup is on the line at Coach Road on Saturday 16th.

Elsewhere, Ashburton won 6-3 at Newton Rovers in Div2, 66 2nds beat Liverton 2nds 4-2 in Div3 and in Div4, Newton Rovers 2nds shipped six goals at Paignton Saints 3rds.