Sidmouth Town Junior Vikings (Under 13s) travelled to the Devon FA headquarters in Newton Abbot to play against Marldon Youth. Sidmouth were runners up in the Competition, having fought hard, the scoresheet reading 3 to Marldon and 1 to Sidmouth.

Extracts from Sidmouth Herald, Friday 8th March 2012 http://www.sidmouthherald.co.uk/sport/football/cup_final_beckons_1_1232001

Travelling to a wet, windy blustery pitch in the heart of Plymouth didn’t faze the players and they were in their stride from the kick off. The match went completely against the script as battling midfield play from Freddie King, Tyler Wellman and Joe Miller broke up the opponents play with the energetic Alex Stone causing problems down the left wing.His determination saw him pop up at the far post to put Sidmouth into an early lead and moments later Stone was fouled by the keeper, Freddie King coolly stroking home the resulting penalty, two nil Sidmouth! With the strong cross wind affecting the quality of play the match became more of a battle. Marine peppered Nacho Sanchez’s goal with long range shots, hard to measure in the conditions.However Sidmouth’s luck ran out with two speculative shots pulling the scores level and taking the match into extra time. Sidmouth showed real character to deal with the disappointment of losing their lead, Roel Ruigrok, Ed Doble, Billy Rudolph, Connor Murphy and Jack de Winton maintaining the attacking threat and taking the challenge to their opponents. With a penalty shoot out looming the quality of Freddie King shone through once more as his 25 yard strike hit the back of the net to put Sidmouth in the lead. The defensive trio, Ben Miller, Al Forsyth and Jonny Surtees directed by Jamie Newberry, outstanding throughout held out for the remaining minutes to see the side through to the final and inflicting Marine Academy’s first defeat in three years. Coach Sean Murphy applauded the team, ‘This was an remarkable performance by a exceptional group of players. We are extremely proud of them and what they have achieved against such strong opposition

Extracts from Sidmouth Herald, Friday 2nd March 2012 http://www.sidmouthherald.co.uk/sport/football/support_u13s_in_devon_cup_semis_1_1225194

On their way to the semi-final Sidmouth have beaten Brixington, Dawlish, Dartmouth and Plymouth Parkway and make up the final four along with the table topping sides from South and West Devon

The challenge is exaggerated by the unavailability of 6 players due to being cup tied or involved in County hockey and rugby. The lighting speed on Charlie Freeman up front will be missed, as will the defensive stability of Billy Rudolph and Dylan King.

However the coaching team remains confident that Sidmouth can cause an upset:-Sean Murphy explained that ‘we have had some excellent results against Academy and Centre of Excellence sides in the past. If the whole team play to the level they are capable then they can beat anyone.’

Coach Paul Newberry added ‘The team should be very proud of what they have achieved already. We entered a competition with 64 teams across the county and have ended up in the last four and as the sole representatives of the top half of the county. 'It would be great to go that step further and reach the final.'

Travelling to a wet, windy blustery pitch in the heart of Plymouth didn’t faze the players and they were in their stride from the kick off. The match went completely against the script as battling midfield play from Freddie King, Tyler Wellman and Joe Miller broke up the opponents play with the energetic Alex Stone causing problems down the left wing. His determination saw him pop up at the far post to put Sidmouth into an early lead and moments later Stone was fouled by the keeper, Freddie King coolly stroking home the resulting penalty, two nil Sidmouth!

With the strong cross wind affecting the quality of play the match became more of a battle. Marine peppered Nacho Sanchez’s goal with long range shots, hard to measure in the conditions. However Sidmouth’s luck ran out with two speculative shots pulling the scores level and taking the match into extra time.

Sidmouth showed real character to deal with the disappointment of losing their lead, Roel Ruigrok, Ed Doble, Billy Rudolph, Connor Murphy and Jack de Winton maintaining the attacking threat and taking the challenge to their opponents. With a penalty shoot out looming the quality of Freddie King shone through once more as his 25 yard strike hit the back of the net to put Sidmouth in the lead. The defensive trio, Ben Miller, Al Forsyth and Jonny Surtees directed by Jamie Newberry, outstanding throughout held out for the remaining minutes to see the side through to the final and inflicting Marine Academy’s first defeat in three years in the process. Coach Sean Murphy applauded the team, ‘This was an remarkable performance by a exceptional group of players. We are extremely proud of them and what they have achieved against such strong opposition.’

Sidmouth played host to YMCA Kitto Parkway in a cracking Devon cup 1/4 final. Sid started strong with a couple of chances from Jack de Winton & Ed Doble. The Midfield was strong with Tyler Wellman, Joe Miller, Freddie King, & Alex Stone dominating. The link up play was superb between midfield & attack & caused Kitto lots of problems. Any real threat was dealt with by Alister Forsyth, Ben Miller, Jamie Newbery, & Jonny Surtees. Kitto took the lead against the run of play when a speculative shot sailed over keeper Connor Murphy. Sid hit back & continued to pass the ball around & eventually won a freekick which King struck superbly to level the scores. Sid now had their tails up & a good through ball to Doble whose good shot was saved but de Winton followed up to tap in to put Sid in front at the halftime break. Second half Kitto started the stronger forcing Sid into defending & when the ball broke another long range shot went into the top corner to tie the scores up again. This lifted Kitto & they kept attacking the Sid defence & good link play saw the Kitto striker finish with a good strike to put his side in front. Sidmouth had to dig deep & came back hard with George Harris & Roel Ruigrok linking well on the left wing at Kitto & with 10 minutes to go the impressive Ben Miller struck a great goal to level the scores again. A few more chances from both sides before the fulltime whistle went & extra time. Again in both sides had chances but in the second period de Winton spotted the keeper out of position & from 35 yards measured a shot past him to put Sidmouth in front. Joe Miller with minutes left was unlucky to put Sid further in front when his shot beat the keeper & go agonising just wide. Fulltime whistle went with both teams giving their all in a great match which Sidmouth deservedly going through to the Semi-final to be played later this month.

Sidmouth marched into the quarter-finals with an outstanding victory against a useful Darts side.Sid started the game at a high tempo & from their first corner Jamie Newberys great header cannoned against the bar. Sid were playing great football with Roel Rugroik, & Jack de Winton linking up. On their first attack Darts caught Sid Sleeping & opened the scoring. Sid hit back with Joe Miller & Tyler Wellman dominating the middle of the park & they deservedly equalised through Ben Miller after some great approach work. Sid were dominating all the play through Miller, Wellman, & Alister Forsyth & just before halftime took the lead through de Winton. Second saw Darts briefly rally but Newbery snuffed out any danger & marshalled his defence superbly Sid had a few near chances with George Harris probing down the flanks but the elusive goal was hard to find. Eventually Alex Stone was sent through & he coolly slid the ball under the advancing keeper for the deserved third goal. Everyone played well with Newbery the pick as Sid advanced.

Sidmouth played at home in the cup & continued from the previous day with good neat football & went in front from Ben Miller A second goal from Ed Doble insured Sidmouth went into the halftime break in a comfortable position Second half more good football saw further goals from Alex Stone & Alister Forsyth kill the game off before a few positional changes saw Brixington score two late goals. The boys all played well & now host Dartmouth in the 3rd round.

Sidmouth had another hard game in the cup on sunday but were too strong for their opponants with goals from Jack de Winton 3 Alex Stone, Connor Murphy, & George Harris

In an amazing start to the game, Town missed three good chances before shipping on themselves.
They had to wait until the 27th minute to restore parity, but once level were always in charge. Charlie Freeman (2) Ed Doble, Ben Miller, Joe Miller, Connor Murphy and Freddie King also scored. Connor Murphy produced a great show from midfield

Sidmouth produced one of their best performances of the season, victorious over a side that had beaten them in the first game of the season. Despite early pressure and creative play Sidmouth fell behind when hit on the counter. It took until the 30th minute before parity when Billy Rudolph half volleyed home inside the box. The home side had done well to keep their momentum after some very curious decisions from the assistant linesman.

In the second half the goals began to flow. Jamie Newberry, joining Joe Miller and Alex Stone in midfield created a constant threat with striker Jack de Winton benefiting with a goal. Roel Ruigrok, George Harris and Ben Miller provided the width and a classy through ball from the later saw Ed Doble slot home the third. Late on Tyler Wellman added a fourth with a sharply taken chance. The defensive line up on Jon Surtees, Al Forsyth and Connor Murphy kept CS to just 3 efforts in the whole match. A fine team display with Tyler Wellman stealing the man of the Match honours.

Sidmouth started strongly with good passing football with Tyler Wellman & Alister Forsyth dominant in midfield, but Sidmouth couldn't produce a finish for all their good work. Sidmouth forced a succession of corners & from one of them centre half Jamie Newbery shot home the opener. The second goal was a repeat of the first with Newbery in the right place to stab home. A handball saw Sidmouth gain a penalty & this was coolly dispatched into the bottom corner by Dylan King .Pinhoe hit back & when Sidmouth gave the ball away in midfield a fine finish saw Pinhoe pull a goal back. Billy Rudolph’s pass found Joe Miller who shot home to restore Sidmouths 3 goal advantage to go into the halftime break 4-1 up. The second half started as the first with several chances being missed with Jack de Winton, Connor Murphy, Ed Doble, Ben Miller, & Newbery the guilty culprits which eventually cost as Sid conceded a second goal & after this there were a few anxious moments. Sidmouth were by far the better side but woeful crossing & finishing kept the score line at 4-2.

Sidmouth could have scored in the first 20 seconds when Charlie Freeman was one on one with the keeper but his shot was just wide. Sidmouth played some good football & deservedly took the lead when the ball broke to George Harris & his speculative shot went in off the bar. Defensively Sidmouth were solid with full backs Ben Miller & Alister Forsyth having excellent games. Chances came at regular intervals with Joe Miller & Ed Doble both unlucky. Sidmouth went into the halftime break knowing that if they had taken their chances the game would have been over. In the second half a much improved Abbots came out & soon equalised. They took the lead midway through the half despite the efforts of Nacho in goal. Sidmouth then pounded the Abbots goal with Doble going close Connor Murphy volleyed wide Freeman missing a sitter & Jamie Newbery shooting just over from 30 yards. With 4 minutes left Sid got what they deserved when a Newbery throw was flicked on by Tyler Wellman & Alex Stone tapped in from a couple of yards. Then another Newbery throw again flicked on by Wellman was volleyed home by Billy Rudolph for the winner. A couple of nasty unpunished fouls by the Abbots players spoiled a great game of football which saw Sidmouth battle to the end & get their just rewards, a great team performance.

Sidmouth totally dominated this encounter from kick off to final whistle. They took the lead when good link up play between Joe Miller & Alex Stones saw the ball played to George Harris who smashed the ball into the top corner. It was soon two when Dylan King slotted home. King added his second & Sids third with a good shot. Just before halftime Ed Doble struck Sidmouths fourth. In the second half Sidmouth continued in the same vein & Jack de Winton soon added the fifth. Sid were awarded a penalty & it was given to King to try to complete his hatrick but the keeper made a fine save but it wasn't long before Ben Miller scored Sids sixth. Jamie Newbery, & Jonny Surtess dominated the Crediton defence, & Nacho had a good debut both in goal & on the pitch. 6-0 flattered Crediton & if there were better finishing it could have been double figures

Sidmouth played away at Dawlish & were quick to get into their stride spending long periods in the oppositions half, Sidmouth opened the scoring through Jack de Winton & soon from a corner should have scored again when Jamie Newberys shot was cleared on the line. Ed Dobles then had a shot that appeared over the line cleared & when he burst into the box he was brought down but no penalty was given. Dawlish had one attack which they shot wide but the remainder of the half was played in the oppositions half. It was stressed to kept attacking & the goals would happen & not to lose concentration at the back. Sidmouth continued in the same vein as the first but the Dawlish goal led a charmed life with bad finishing & good defending & goalkeeping keeping Sidmouth at bay. With 5 minutes left a lapse in concentration let the Dawlish striker in & he needed no invitation to level the scores. Sid tried to find a winner but the whistle blew to frustrate Sidmouth who played 90% of the match in the oppositions half

Playing at home Sidmouth welcomed the returning Freddie King with a resounding win against Pinhoe. Sidmouth totally overwhelmed them scoring ten times & could have had a lot more. Scorers were Ed Doble 3 Ben Miller 2 Freddie King 2 Alex Stone, Jack de Winton, & Charlie Freeman

Sidmouth played away at a very wet & heavy ground which stopped the flowing football that Sidmouth like to play, although they still tried to play attractive football the pitch was a great leveller. Sidmouth pressed & when the ball broke Tyler Wellman hit a tremendous shot from ouside the area to put them one up. A long ball from Twyford was not properly cleared & the ball was hit back into a unguarded net for the equaliser. Sidmouth kept pressing forward & from a Joe Miller corner Jamie Newbery hit a shot from the edge of the area to put Sidmouth back in front. Soon it was three when Billy Rudolph put in Edd Doble to fire in a great finish. Halftime arrived with Sidmouth 3-1 up & it was envisaged that the next goal would be important but, it was Sidmouth who conceded when a speculative shot found the net. Twyford came at Sidmouth but good defending from Newbery & the excellant Jonny Surtes kept them out & Sidmouth started to play good football carving out chances that were either missed or saved. Eventually Jack DeWinton found the net from a Ben Miller cross & late on Alister Forsyth sent Charlie Freeman through to finish with a great shot into the top corner. A good allround performance on a very difficult surface.

Sidmouth played at home on Saturday & completely dominated a useful team good movement & good inter play saw Ed Doble open the scoring. Jack de Winton played a neat one two with Joe Miller & hit a tremendous shot from the edge of the area into the top corner for the second & further goals from Roel Ruigrok & George Harris took Sidmouth into the halftime break 4-0 up. Second half was all one way with further goals from Ben Miller, Jamie Newbery, Joe Miller, & Alex Stone, but the day belonged to de Winton who scored four second half goals to take his tally on the day to 5. Stoke scored a consolation goal at the end but de Winton & Sidmouth completed a happy day

Sidmouth had a early chance of revenge for knocking them out of the league cup & they started very brightly with Joe Miller & Billy Rudolph prominant Some great Play saw Sid take the lead when Jack DeWinton open the scoring. Thors hit back But great defending from Dylan King & Jamie Newbery saw Sid go into the halftime break with a one goal advantage. Second half saw much the same but when Sid had a freekick it went to a Thor player who hit it straight back into an unguarded net to equalise. Then for much of the half both teams played some real quality football but with both defences were superb Charlie Freeman went through on goal & although the defender tried to take him out he stayed on his feet & only a good save prevented him from scoring. From the resulting corner to ball found its way to Rudolph who hit a unstoppable shot to put Sid in front Sid held out until literally seconds remained when Thors equalised. A huge disappointment but a great game of football with both sides outstanding.

Playing at home on Saturday, Sidmouth played against a team they put out in a county cup last month. Sid started brightly with some good flowing football, but it was Dawlish that scored first with a speculative shot that soared over the keepers head. Sid hit back with some good passing football & Joe Millers shot hit the bar. Sid kept pushing forward & creating chances with Jack de Winton, & Jamie Newbery just missing the target. On a rare Dawlish attack they scored again to go 2-0 up, but Sid hit back but again they failed to hit the target. Half time came with Sid still the two goals down but it was stressed to the players to continue to play the style of football that they were playing & more chances would come & eventually they would score. Second half started with Sid playing good football & when Ben Miller crossed, Alex Stone arrived at the far post to pull a goal back. Jamie Newbery was pushed forward & immediately it paid dividends when he laid the ball to Joe Miller to hit a terrific shot to level the scores Sid were now flying & were in no trouble at the back & kept pushing forward & it wasn't long before Sid went in front with a good finish from George Harris. They could have gone further in front but a couple of chances went begging. Sid then had a couple of injuries’ to Ed Doble, & Harvey Sargent & seemed to sit back & let Dawlish push forward & with 5 minutes to go Connor Murphy had to make a couple of good saves & then Dawlish completed a smash & grab raid with two late goals to win the match 4-3. Sid played some good football but the missed chances cost them & now they have to pick themselves up for this week’s game

Sidmouth started this game very brightly with everyone sharp fom the kick off & with 5 minutes gone Ben Miller forced the Civil keeper to make a good save & from the resulting corner Charlie Freemans header came back off the bar & Jamie Newbery was the first to react to score Sids first. Sid were playing some great football with Wellman & Alister Forsyth driving forward. Great inter play from Freeman & Jack de Winton saw him through on goal & he coolly found the corner of the net to put Sid 2 up. This drove Civil on & they forced themselves back into the game with a goal to make it 2-1. Sidmouth were now up against it & Civil scored again with a great strike to level the scores. Civil keep pressing & were unlucky not to go into the halftime brake in front after a couple of near misses. Second half again Civil were pushing & should have gone in front but the shot was off target. A change in formation saw Sid gradually get back into the game, a good ball from Joe Miller found Ed Golding who's strong run & shot saw Sid back in front. From a short corner George Harris hit a terrific shot at goal & the ball flew into the net to give Sid a bit of breathing space. Sid now started to play some great football as Civil were deflated & Sam Hicks hit another tremendous shot that went into the far corner. Freeman made it six with a great run & shot to finish the match 6-2 winners with a great second half display against the team that came runner up to Sidmouth in the league last Season.

Sidmouth played away at Top of the table Alphington & on a small pitch & windy conditions, produced the worst performance for a long time & went into the halftime break 2-0 down after being bullied & against the wind for the first half. A second half revival saw Sidmouth come back into the game & used the conditions to their advantage to claw their way back into the game with two great strikes from Tyler Wellman, but in the last minute poor defending let a Alpha striker ride four tackles to score the winner. A game for most of the team want to forget

Sidmouth like last week started slowly & with a conventional formation fell behind after 5 minutes, but instead of last week battled back into the game & were unlucky with a couple of efforts that went just wide. Some great interplay from Jack de Winton & Charlie Freeman saw Ben Miller tap in an equaliser. Sidmouth now had their tails up & Alister Forsyth was having a storming game & Sid were soon 2 up through Freeman after some great passing football. de Winton made it three with a geat shot into the corner & with Forsyth, Wellman, & Rudolph knocking the ball around could have had a couple more goals before halftime.The second half saw Abbots coming at Sid but the defence of Alex Stone, Sam Hicks, Dylan King, & Jamie Newbery superbly dealt with everything. Sidmouth continued to play great passing football & earned themselves a corner & when it was cleared Newbery curled a great shot from a angle from 30 yards into the top corner. Harvey Sargent & Joe Miller continued to drive Sid forward & a pass from Sargent picked out George Harris & when his shot was parried De Winton was on hand to lift the ball over the keeper for Sids fifth. A great team performance from Sid against a top quality team who both will be contesting the league at the end of the season.

Sidmouth started their league season with a disappointing defeat against a determined Culm side. 2-0 down at halftime things got worse when Culm scored a third & it was only in the last ten minutes that Sid started to push Culm & play something near what they are capable of to reduce the arrears with a great shot from Billy Rudolph & a little chip from Roel Rugrok if only they had started to play earlier. Last season’s unbeaten run would have continued.

Playing away in the cup against The Thors was always going to be a tough game but, Sid started brightly defending the slope. Sid played some good football & when Charlie Freeman was sent through, his shot narrowly went wide. Thors were quick on the break but Sid defended well. Sidmouth had a couple more shots through Freeman & Jack de Winton but again went just wide. Halftime came with the scores level at 0-0 through good defending from Dylan King, Jonny Surtees, Sam Hicks, & Jamie Newbery. Second again Sid started well with Ed Doble outstanding but a lapse in defence saw 2 free headers that saw Thors go two up despite pressing from Doble & Alister Forsyth. Thors scored again through a very dubious penalty. 3-0 final whistle but the score line doesn't reflect game, With Newbery, Wellman & the outstanding Doble the pick. We await to see whether Sidmouth will be entered into the plate competition.

Tuesday night saw Sidmouth play Honiton for the second time in 7 days and once again they prevailed ,this time winning 4:2.Needing a win to secure second place in the league Sidmouth started strongly and were soon causing a jittery Honiton defence problems. However clear cut chances were few and far between but midway through the half Freddie King was found by a Jack de Winton header and he opened the scoring. The defence of Tom Orchard, Jamie Newbery, Jonny Surtees and Matt Jones quelled any Honiton attack thus left keeper Connor Murphy to clean up any overhit passes.10 minutes from half time and Ed Doble was inexplicably disallowed, and half time arrived with Sidmouth holding onto their slender lead. Within 2 minutes of the restart Honiton got themselves back into the game with an equalizer. Sidmouth's midfield of Ben Miller, Doble, Alister Forsyth and Alex Stone were more than holding their own. With half time sub Jack West making a nuisance of himself Sidmouth went in search of a second goal. This finally arrived when Miller found the bottom corner. Spurred on Sidmouth carried the game to the visitors and increased the lead when King burst through and calmly rounded the keeper and rolled the ball into the net. Within 2 minutes Town had their fourth after a tidy finish from de Winton, Honiton did pull another goal back with 5 minutes to go but it was a mere consolation. Manager Sean Murphy said "After the disappointment of losing on Saturday this was a fantastic performance and the boys deserve a lot of credit for picking themselves up to secure the runners up spot. I know we came up just short in the league but we did win 2 cups so it has been a successful season. The lads have been a credit to themselves, their parents and the club throughout the season. I am looking forward to weekend lie ins, cricket allowing, but we will go again next season and hopefully go one better. I would like to thank all the boys for their efforts this season it has been a pleasure to be associated with them, they are a terrific bunch"

Saturday saw Sidmouth miss out on winning the league after losing 5:2 at new league champions Colyton. Buoyed by their success in midweek Sidmouth started brightly and 10 minutes in were ahead after Alex Stone rolled the ball in. This stirred the hosts into action and soon the back four of Tom Orchard, Jamie Newbery, Jonny Surtees and Matt Jones were being pushed further back. After 20 minutes Colyton got the equalizer and 5 minutes later keeper Connor Murphy was beaten again from a wonderful 20 yard free kick into the top corner. Even at 2:1 down at half time Sidmouth were still confident of getting the victory they needed. The second half started as the first had ended with Colyton on top the midfield quartet of Ben Miller, Alister Forsyth, Joe Miller and Stone were being overrun which led forwards Jack de Winton and Jack West dropping deeper which left no outlet to relieve the pressure. Midway through the half the lead was increased and a change of formation. Chasing the game Sidmouth were always vulnerable to counter attacks and in the final 10 minutes Colyton scored twice more. Sidmouth did however have the final say when Newbery forced the ball home but it wasn't enough .Manager Sean Murphy said "The boys were absolutely out on their feet for most of the second half, I think Wednesday night and the fact half of them made the long trip to Galmpton for a match on Friday night just caught up with them. I certainly couldn't fault any of their efforts today they just had nothing left in the tank. Congratulations to Chris Beer and his players on a terrific season, we now have to pick ourselves up for a match against Honiton on Tuesday to try and secure second place"

Last Wednesday saw Sidmouth travel to Axminster to play Honiton in the final of the Life Members Cup,and they returned with their second piece of silverware of the season following a 2:1 victory. Sidmouth started the stronger with the midfield quartet of Ben Miller, Alister Forsyth, Joe Miller and Alex Stone dominating possession and the front two of Joe Buckland and Jack de Winton asking questions of the Honiton defence. Following a corner after 10 minutes Jamie Newbery slotted the ball home to give the junior Vikings the lead. This forced Honiton to press forward but any attacks were snuffed out by the defence of Tom Orchard, Newbery, Jonny Surtees and Matt Jones which left keeper Connor Murphy to mop up any over hit through balls. Half time arrived without any more goals, Honiton came out in the second half in determined fashion and had Sidmouth on the back foot early on. The pace and trickery of de Winton was a constant threat for Sidmouth. Midway through the half Honiton got their equalizer but that didn't last long as 5 minutes later de Winton hit a sublime chip that went in just under the crossbar to restore Sidmouth's lead. The rest of the game was end to end but the best chance fell to the Honiton striker who blazed over when well placed. The final whistle was greeted with a huge sigh of relief from both players and parents alike. Manager Sean Murphy said "The boys put in a terrific shift tonight against a dogged and determined team, it is a great achievement for them to win a second cup this season. Every single one of them has played their part in our success and it isn't finished yet as we can still win the league

With their match against Seaton A postponed due the bad weather the previous weekend Sidmouth under 13's were offered the chance to play the re-arranged fixture at St James' Park. A full squad of 16 players arrived full of expectation and confident of getting a positive result, this they did running out 8:0 winners. Seaton started the game in the brighter fashion and didn't seemed fazed by the surroundings, Sidmouth started to take control in the wide open spaces which suited their style of play down to the ground.13 minutes into the game Freddie King opened the scoring with a cool finish after a mazy run, this was followed 7 minutes later with Ben Miller getting on the scoresheet. Seaton continued to press without causing the Sidmouth defence of Tom Orchard, Jamie Newbery, Jonny Surtees and Matt Jones any undue problems. Sidmouth went into half time 4 goals to the good following strikes from Ed Doble and King's second. The second half started with Sidmouth again on the front foot were soon further in front when Miller scored his second with a bicycle kick from 8 yards. Sidmouth's next was scored by Alex Stone after Jack DeWinton drew the keeper and unselfishly rolled the ball to Stone to tap into an empty net. Not to be outdone by his younger brother Joe Miller was next in line to score and the final goal was deservedly scored by DeWinton. Manager Sean Murphy said "The boys were terrific and took full advantage of this opportunity, the score isn't a true reflection of the game as I thought Seaton were wonderful. They just ran out of gas in the second half, and as most of them are a year younger than my squad that was probably to be expected. They certainly didn't let anyone down with their performance and I hope that the final score didn't put too much of a downer on their day out. This sets us up nicely now for our final two league games in the search for the league title as we are 6 points behind Colyton who we still have to play"

The under 13's continued their pursuit of the East Devon league title with a comfortable 7:0 victory away against Seaton A. With only one player from the squad missing this was just about the strongest squad assembled this season. Sidmouth dominated possession and territory from the start and 10 minutes into the game Jack de Winton found himself in the clear and a clever chip over the keeper opened the scoring. Seaton were struggling to get out of their own half and 10 minutes after the opening goal the lead was doubled when Alister Forsyth smashed the ball into the net. Seaton just could not live with the attacking prowess of Sidmouth Freddie King was the next on the scoresheet before Joe Buckland scored the goal of the game with a lob from the edge of the box to give Sidmouth a 4:0 half time lead. The second half started with Seaton in a determined mood and started to ask a few questions of the Sidmouth defence which they dealt with admirably. But for good saves and better finishing when in good positions Sidmouth would have increased their lead earlier in the half as it was they had to wait until the 20th minute of the half before de Winton again found the net and 5 minutes later he completed a fine hat trick. King got his second to complete the scoring 5 minutes from time. Manager Sean Murphy said "For a lot of these lads this was their 10th game in the last 12 days so the effort they put in was outstanding. Thankfully we were in full control early doors so we were able to make it easier for themselves that it may have been. All credit must go to Seaton as most of their squad are actually under 12's playing up a year, they never stopped trying when it might have been easier to just give up and maybe concede a rugby score but they kept going right to the final whistle."

On Sunday Sidmouth won their first piece of silverware of the season when they beat Colyton 2:1 aet in the final of the Wellman Cup. In a repeat of last years final the Vikings were able to gain revenge against the team that beat them last season. With virtually a full strength squad available confidence was high but it was Colyton who started the stronger with Town unable to get their freeflowing football going. Chances were however few and far between for either side with the defences on top,a break by Colyton was foiled by a terrific double save by keeper Tyler Hillier, who was celebrating his 13th birthday. Sidmouth slowly got a foothold in the game with midfielders Joe Miller, Freddie King and Ed Doble starting to influence the game, and when Sidmouth managed to get the ball in the net through Connor Murphy they were denied by a linesmans flag for offside,half time arrived with the scores level.T he second half continued in a similar vein with both midfields trying to gain the upperhand, Sidmouths back four of Tom Orchard, Jamie Newbery, Jonny Surtees and Alister Forsyth quelled any attack Colyton mounted and when they did break through they found Hillier at the top of his game. When Sidmouth managed to create chances their finishing was off target the final whistle sounded with neither side managing to find a breakthrough. With a further 20 minutes to go before the dreaded penalty shootout Sidmouth started extra time on the front foot and within 3 minutes found themselves in front when Ben Miller found himself in a shooting position from the corner of the box and he didn't miss,2 minutes later the lead was doubled when Town were awarded a penalty which Newbery coolly slotted home. This seemed to spur Colyton on and within a couple of minutes they pulled a goal back, a speculative shot from the edge of the area sailed into the top corner, with renewed confidence Colyton pressed for the equaliser. In the second period of extra time both teams naturally tired and the game became stretched but neither side could find another goal. Manager Sean Murphy said "It was a terrific performance from my players especially as most of the travelled to Newquay on Wednesday morning to play in the West Country Cup in which they played 5 games in 3 days. The game was a terrific advert for junior football as it was played by 2 evenly matched sides and played in a great spirit. I would like to pay a special respect to Alex Stone who suffered a nasty looking calf injury in Newquay but still turned up to help out his team mates, and although he was unable to play as much as he probably wanted he was able to play his part. This sets us up nicely for the rest of the season as we have another cup final to look forward to ,and are in the hunt to win the league also"

Sidmouth failed in their attempt to go to St James' Park for the final of the Chairman’s Cup losing 6:2 away at Honiton. Although only having a bare 11 Sidmouth were fairly confident of getting a positive result but it wasn't to be. Honiton started the stronger and had a good chance within a couple of minutes, it didn't take long for them to take the lead and it was soon doubled. Midway through the half Joe Miller lobbed over the keeper to half the arrears Sidmouth continued to press forward and Ed Doble had a couple of good chances which forced excellent saves from the keeper. With 10 minutes of the half left Ben Miller got the equalizer, Sidmouth were now in the ascendency but couldn't find another goal before the break. The second half started quite even but soon Honiton were once again ahead which was soon a 2 goal cushion, Sidmouth continued to try and force their way back into the game but were unable to, 2 goals in 5 minutes towards the end finished any chance of a comeback. Manager Sean Murphy said "The boys gave it their all and most of them have played an awful lot of football in the last 10 days or so and were understandably tired. Honiton scored one great goal but we didn’t help out own cause with the others- and in that situation, any team will struggle”

Sidmouth progressed to the final of the Wellman Cup with a comfortable 4:1 victory over Willand. Sidmouth started the brighter and were soon causing the visitors problems and after 13 minutes Alex Stone continued his recent scoring streak by scoring the opener, following Joe Miller's effort which crashed back off the bar. The midfield quartet of Stone, Miller, Ed Doble and Ben Miller were dominating the game but clear cut chances were hard to come by until sub Joe Buckland found himself in the clear to double the hosts lead which is how it stayed til half time.The second half continued in the same way as the first finished, with the back four of Tom Orchard, Jamie Newbery, Jonny Surtees and Alister Forsyth snuffing out any attack Willand could muster keeper Tyler Hillier was left to mop up overhit through balls. A neat lobbed through ball by Connor Murphy saw Joe Miller in the clear and a clever header over the advancing keeper increased the score,a mazy run by Newbery saw his long range effort go narrowly over the bar. With 12 minutes to go Willand gave themselves a lifeline but it turned out to be only a consolation as 5 minutes later Miller volleyed his second goal of the game to restore the 3 goal cushion and they comfortably saw out the rest of the game. Manager Sean Murphy said "It was a great performance from the lads, especially as we were missing 3 players who were ineligible and another missing through illness. We have reached the first of hopefully 3 cup finals and hope to go one better than last season when we lost in the final of this competition"

Sidmouth under 13's made the short trip to Honiton with virtually a full strength squad with confidence high. Playing their first game together in nearly a month it didn't take long for Sidmouth to take control against their dogged and determined hosts .It didn't take long for Sidmouth to take the lead a corner from Connor Murphy going straight in and on 15 minutes the outstanding Freddie King got the Vikings second. Spurred on by this Sidmouth went on the charge for more goals and but for the Honiton keeper pulling off a series of terrific saves to deny King, Jack deWinton and Joe Miller Sidmouth would have had the points wrapped up by half time.10 minutes before the break Honiton got themselves a lifeline when a bit of penalty area pinball saw a fortunate ricochet into the net, spurred on by this Honiton pressed for an equalizer. Honiton started the second half as they finished the first forcing keeper Tyler Hillier to parry a stinging shot over his bar,but after 10 minutes Sidmouth started to stamp their authority back on the match and with King, Miller ,Ed Doble and Ben Miller causing problems whenever they got on the ball.With 15 minutes to a through ball put Doble in the clear who coolly placed the inside the post to restore the 2 goal cushion, any Honiton attacks were dealt with admirably by Tom Orchard, Jamie Newbery, Alex Stone and Matt Jones.8 minutes from time the points were secured when Alister Forsyth smashed the ball home to score against his former team. Manager Sean Murphy said "It was a terrific performance on a pitch not conducive to attractive, flowing football. It was a real battle and it was good to see that we were really up for it right from the first whistle. Credit must go to Honiton and you could see why they were unbeaten in the league this season as they never stopped pressing trying to play football. This sets us up nicely for March when we have 3 semi finals to play"

Sidmouth played hosts to Willand in a league encounter on Sunday and emerged 7:4 victors. The visitors were the quicker out of the blocks and dominated the play for the opening 10 minutes and but for keeper Tyler Hillier Sidmouth would have found themselves 3 goals behind. Town started to get a foothold in the match and Joe Miller settled everybody’s nerves by scoring a 7 minute hat trick and Ben Miller added a fourth shortly after. Chances came and went for Sidmouth before Willand's big striker pulled a goal back and just before half time he got another to leave the game in the balance. The second half started scrappily with neither side able to take control and midway through Willand pulled another one back. This seemed to spur Sidmouth on and they got back to playing the football they are renowned for and but for the Willand keeper would have increased their lead earlier, but goals from Alex Stone 2,and Millers fourth settled any nerves about the result. Willand completed the scoring with the last kick of the game, manager Sean Murphy said "we made life a lot harder for ourselves than it should have been but got the result needed and with other results going our way we are definitely in the hunt for the league title"

Sidmouth hosted near neighbours Honiton on Sunday in the quarter final of the Wellman Cup and ran out 6:2 winners. With virtually a full squad available confidence was high against the previously unbeaten visitors. Sidmouth were on the back foot for the opening five minutes but then got into their stride and when Connor Murphy swung over a corner Jamie Newbery rose highest to head home. This settled any nerves and a few minutes later from another corner Alex Stone swept the ball home, Sidmouth were now in complete control. Midfielder Ed Doble continued his excellent recent form by grabbing Sidmouth's third before Honiton grabbed themselves a lifeline after a scramble which saw Sidmouth fail to clear the ball. The two goal cushion was restored when Doble got his second and Ben Miller scored from a tight angle to make the half time score 5:1.The second half started with Honiton pressing forward and 10 minutes in only a brilliant save from Tyler Hillier prevented them from pulling another goal back. This seemed to spur Sidmouth on as they once again took control of the game without really causing Honiton too many problems. Sidmouth finally got their rewards when after a goalmouth scramble and heroic defending Jack West lashed the ball into the net. Honiton finally got another consolation goal with the last kick of the game. Manager Sean Murphy said "the lads deserve a lot of credit for their performance today every single one of them played a part and did what was expected of them. We have now reached our third semi final of the season which is a terrific achievement and the lads should feel justifiably proud"

The squad make the short trip to Seaton and come away with a 15:0 victory. In the first half goals were scored by Ben Miller, Freddie King, Jamie Newbery, Roel Ruigrok, Alex Stone and Joe Miller to make it 6:0.Second half goals were scored by Stone, Miller 2,Connor Murphy, Ed Doble 2,Ruigrok,Tom Orchard, Alister Forsyth to give Sidmouth a comprehensive victory. Manager Sean Murphy said "the Seaton boys were a credit to their club,their manager and themselves as they never once let their heads drop or give up, in fact it was the complete opposite as they were still prepared to put their bodies on the line to make goal saving blocks and tackles when other teams may have given up"

Sidmouth Town under 13's entertained Axminster on Sunday in the quarter final of the Chairman's Cup.With Axminster turning up with just 8 players Sidmouth's pre match confidence was well justified as they ran out very,very comfortable winners by the score of 22:1.It took Sidmouth about 15 minutes to open the scoring,mainly due to poor finishing and good goalkeeping,but once they did score the floodgates opened.They went into half time 9:0 to the good,goals scored by Ed Doble 3,Alex Stone 2,Freddie King 2,Joe Miller and Jamie Newbery.With the match already won Sidmouth played the second half with 8 players to balance the teams out and try to make a game of it.The scoring didn't stop in fact Sidmouth scored more goals with 8 players than they did with 11 winning the second half 13:1 with the goals being scored by Miller 3,Tom Orchard,Connor Murphy 2,King 2,Ben Miller,Jonny Surtees 2,Stone,and Newbery.The biggest cheer of the morning came when Axminster scored their consolation goal with parents and supporters of both teams cheering and clapping.Manager Sean Murphy said "I felt sorry for Axminster and their manager as I have been in that situation of not having enough players on numerous occasions,and fair play to him as he didn't try to postpone the game.I'm not sure if the scoreline is a Sidmouth Town record but it must be close,we just had one of those days and took full advantage although we did miss maybe half as many chances as we scored."

For the first time this season Sidmouth went into their match against Seaton Stars with enough players to have a sub, and they ran out 9:4 winners. The match started with Sidmouth getting straight into their stride and about 10 minutes into the game Alister Forsyth opened the scoring with his first of the season which was quickly followed by his second. After 25 minutes Forsyth completed his hat trick following up his own shot which the keeper could only parry. Seaton were given a way back into the game when they were awarded a dubious penalty which was coolly converted, Joe Miller restored Sidmouth's 3 goal advantage just before half time. The second half started with Sidmouth still dominating the possession and territory and it wasn't long before Joe Buckland increased their lead with a tidy left footed finish, Seaton were able to pull another goal back before Ben Miller got on the scoresheet.Forsyth got his fourth before the Stars scored again. Buckland scored Sidmouth's eighth, but again Seaton wouldn't lie down and claimed their fourth before Roel Ruigrok completed the scoring. Manager Sean Murphy said "I was really pleased to finally get plenty of players available after the last couple of games where we only had 9 and 10 respectively. The scoreline didn't flatter us as we were very comfortable and on another day we could have scored 4 or 5 more as we hit the woodwork, had an effort cleared off the line and wasted a few openings. All in all though it was a good performance and a vital 3 points to keep us in the hunt for the league"

Sidmouth went into their match away to Willand with only 10 available players but were still confident of getting a positive result. Things started brightly for Town with them controlling possession and it wasn't long before top scorer Jamie Newbery opened the scoring, midway through the half Joe Miller latched onto a through ball to slide the ball past the keeper to make it 2:0.Willand refused to let their heads go down and soon pulled one back. Ben Miller restored the 2 goal cushion with a tidy finish from a tight angle, however Willand got themselves back into it with their second goal on the stroke of half time. The second half started with a shambolic 15 minutes for Sidmouth which saw the hosts score 4 soft goals to open up a 3 goal advantage. Sidmouth finally woke up and started to ask a few questions of the Willand defence, and with 15 minutes to go Ben Miller scored his second to give hope to Sidmouth. Buoyed by this Town continued to press forward and Joe Miller scored his second to close the gap to just 1 and just a few minutes later he completed a fine hat trick to equalise. With just a few minutes left Town smelt an unlikely victory was still possible but Willand held out to leave the final score 6:6.Manager Sean Murphy said "At half time I would have been disappointed with anything less than victory, but after that uncharacteristic spell at the start of the second half I was delighted to come away with a point. It goes to show how much character the boys have, I don't think many teams could have turned things around and get a point from such a position"

On the day that Manchester City thumped United, Sidmouth under 13's sported their new light blue kit for the first time in their match against Axminster. They returned home with a 3:2 victory despite only having 9 players available. The first half saw Sidmouth playing with a strong breeze at their backs and totally dominated the play, in fact it was hard to see which team had 11 players and which had 9.It took till midway through the half however for Sidmouth to make their dominance count when defender come midfielder come striker Jamie Newbery latched onto a through ball from Connor Murphy to score at the near post. Axminster just couldn't handle Sidmouth's passing game and only got out of their half on a couple of occasions and when they did the back 3 of Tom Orchard,Jonny Surtees and Matt Jones were able to deal with the situation which left keeper Tyler Hillier a virtual spectator. With Alister Forsyth continuing his terrific early season form the attacking quintet of Forsyth ,Newbery. Alex Stone, Joe Buckland and Murphy kept the Axminster backline busy and but for a couple of decent saves Town would've increased their lead before the interval. Playing into the wind the second half started in the same way the first ended and 10 minutes in Newbery claimed his second of the game with a sweetly struck volley on the turn which the keeper could only parry into the net. With the cushion of a second goal Sidmouth went hunting for more. Axminster were however coming back into the game but again the back 3 and keeper were able to tidy it all up. Sidmouth duly got another when Stone fired the ball into the net, shortly after this Axminster managed to pull a goal back.The goal seemed to really give them belief and they continued to press,with about 15 minutes to go Forsyth had to leave the field with a knee problem. This was quickly followed with Orchard falling awkwardly on his wrist and would take no further part this left Sidmouth with just 7 players on the pitch and Axminster took full advantage pulling another goal back. Forsyth returned to the fray to help out his colleagues and it was all hands to the pumps as Axminster sensed they could get something from the game but Sidmouth held out for the final nervy 10 minutes. Manager Sean Murphy said "I am full of praise and admiration for these lads they put in a real shift.T he result was marred by the injury to Tom, as our worst fears were confirmed when we heard he had dislocated and broken his wrist. All the lads, myself and the parents wish him the speediest of recoveries"

Sidmouth under 13's got their first win of the season on Sunday running out comfortable 14:0 winners against Millwey Rise.With the wind at their backs Sidmouth started on the front foot but a combination of overplaying and shots off target meant that they had to wait til midway through the half to take the lead.Joe Buckland scoring the teams first goal of the season,this was soon followed by a second for Connor Murphy.With Millwey struggling to even get out of their half Sidmouth got 3 more goals before halftime through Buckland,Jack West (his first ever goal and worth £20 from his dad) and Roel Ruigrok.At halftime manager Sean Murphy changed positions,this didn't affect Sidmouths dominance with defender Jamie Newbery,now playing as a striker,scored 2 goals in quick succession,Alex Stone was next on the scoresheet.Man of the match Ben Miller,who caused the defense of Millwey problems all day with his wing trickery,got a well deserved goal.The scoring was completed by Buckland (hat trick),Miller,Newbery (hat trick),West and Matt Jones.Manager Sean Murphy said "It was a terrific performance from the lads,but credit must go to the Millwey boys who never gave up especially when most of them are actually under 12's.The way they continued to battle they were a credit to their manager and club.It was great to see Jack West score his first ever goal for us,and the rest of the team were determined to set him up"