A LATE Saltash United goal denied Buckland Athletic a share of the spoils as they were beaten 2-1 at Homers Heath on Saturday.

Owen Price had nodded the Bucks ahead in the Western League clash before Neil Slateford struck back in the run-up to half-time.

Ryan Bush spurned late chance to keep all three points at Homers Heath, which his side paid for moments later when Dave Barker found an 89th-minute winner.

‘We started pretty well,’ said Buckland boss Paul Froude. ‘Saltash are a very good team at this level but we were on the front front foot for the first 20 minutes.

‘We deservedly went ahead during that period, but it wasn’t an injustice to us that it was level at half-time.

‘Ultimately we didn’t do enough to win the game, but I wouldn’t say we deserved to lose it either. Andy Collings hasn’t had much to do in goal.

‘Bushy has had a one-on-one which he hasn’t taken and then somehow we’ve snatched defeat from the jaws of a potential victory.

‘We probably would’ve seen it as a decent point, but as it goes that last five minutes sums our season up pretty well.’

Elsewhere, Newton Abbot Spurs’ trip to Elburton Villa was one of a handful of Peninsula Premier East games to fall foul of waterlogged pitches.

Marc Revell and his players opted to support their reserve team instead, while attentions turn to tomorrow night’s visit of Ivybridge Town to The Rec (7.30pm).

‘A lot of pitches were called off so I trust Elburton,’ said Spurs manager Revell. ‘To be honest that will bode well for us against Ivybridge on Tuesday.

‘I’d rather go into that fresh off the back of the Sidmouth defeat. It gives us a little bit more motivation knowing that our most recent game ended in a loss.

‘This game will be a good little marker for us to see how far we’ve come. The lads need to make sure they avenge a really poor defeat at their place.’

A wonder strike from Aaron Wellington was enough to clinch Bovey Tracey a point away at Sidmouth Town.

Liam Carey got the hosts’ goal in a hard-fought 1-1 draw in East Devon – one which Bovey boss Will Small was satisfied with.

‘We knew going into the game that the table would be completely irrelevant,’ said Small. ‘We were basically playing the old Ottery St Mary team.

‘When Bovey played them earlier in the season we lost 6-0 and 7-0, so to go and get a draw shows progress at least.

‘You never want to only draw a game, but to be honest if you’d asked me beforehand I probably would’ve taken a point.

‘There were four new faces in the team who gave us plenty of positives to come away with, and on another day Welly’s goal would’ve been worthy of winning the match.’

A first half battering of Bere Alston United helped Teignmouth maintain their four-point gap at the top of the Devon Football League South & West standings.

The Teigns were five goals up at the break and added one more in the second half to beat travelling Bere Alston 6-0 and stay clear of chasers Mount Gould.

Ash Donohue (2), Myles James (2), Liam Jones and Scott Baxter found the net for Liam Jones’ men, who have five league games left to go.

‘It was a bit strange,’ admitted Teigns manager Jones. ‘For the first 20 minutes it was 0-0 and they sat in quite well. They are a good defensive side away from home and their record shows that.

‘I thought it was going to be a frustrating afternoon, but after 25 minutes we broke the deadlock and the rest of the half was exceptional from our point of view.

‘The second half was always going to be difficult, as at 5-0 we had the mindset of the game already being won.

‘But we scored pretty quickly after half-time and that was that. The first half was certainly one of the best we’ve played since the very start of the season.’

Newton Abbot bragging rights went the way of Buckland Athletic Reserves in the DFL South & West derby as they got the better of Newton Abbot Spurs Reserves.

Dan Tucker’s belatedly-awarded first half strike was all that separated the rivals as Craig Hutcheson’s visitors ran out narrow 1-0 winners at The Rec.

‘We’re very pleased to take the three points,’ said Hutcheson. ‘On another day we’d probably play better football and potentially lose the game.

‘It was another clean sheet as well – two on the bounce now – which is pleasing, and the boys put in a hell of a shift in a local derby. It’s nice to have the Newton Abbot bragging rights back.’

Despite his first all-Newton Abbot affair ending in defeat, Spurs Reserves boss George Dumas could see the positives in his side’s display.

‘In the second half we camped out in their half and worked really hard non-stop,’ he recalled. ‘We just couldn’t get that finish in the final third which was a shame.

‘And it was just one lapse in concentration which cost us for the goal, which just shows that you have to be on it for the whole 90 minutes.’

Following their 3-1 defeat away at PAFC FITC Development on Saturday, Ipplepen Athletic are now seven points adrift at the foot of the DFL South & West table.

Goals from Tylor Love-Holmes (2) and Kieran O’Melia were enough to keep the points in Plymouth – Pens’ situation worsened by second-bottom Paignton Saints winning 4-3 against Plympton Athletic.

The Moor Road side will have to win all three of their remaining league games to stand a chance of moving off the bottom of the table.

For detailed match reports and action pictures, plus more of the latest sport from across the area, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Mid-Devon Advertiser, Dawlish Gazette or Teignmouth Post [March 10].