FOLLOWING a very exciting summer for the club, Bovey Tracey AFC got off to a winning start in the SW Peninsula League.

Ollie Aplin, who won the golden boot in a Bovey shirt, left for Ivybridge Town and has now returned to Mill Marsh, didn’t take long to open his account for this latest stint.

In the very first minute of their game away at Bishops Lydeard, the striker found the back of the net with the club writing the following on social media to describe it. “[Jack] Brimming gets the better of the Bishops Lydeard left back and drives forward, he runs into the box and plays it beautifully across for Aplin who does exactly what he does best - gets ahead of the defenders and pokes it home!”

It would have been easy enough to expect the Moorlanders to run away with the fixture but the Somerset side held firm and the other 89 minutes went by without a goal at either end.

Teignmouth AFC meanwhile were also involved in a 1-0 affair on their travels but unfortunately for them, it went against them.

Marlborough Park was their destination, the home of Ilfracombe Town, who faced relegation out of the Western League last term. Jake Chesworth scored the only goal of the game as his side go in search of a swift return to step five.

Stoke Gabriel & Torbay Police and Torrington AFC were the big winners on opening weekend, triumphing by margins of five and four goals respectively.

Ben Aldous and summer recruit Reece Somers scored two apiece for Stoke and they were joined on the scoresheet by Kieran Parkin and Saul Vanes in a 6-1 romp over Cullompton Rangers at Broadley Lane. They’re another side who will be firmly in the mix at the summit after some eye-catching recruitment.

Click here for our match report from Newton Abbot Spurs’ 2-0 home beating of Okehampton Argyle.