BUCKLAND Athletic and Ivybridge Town experienced differing fates in their respective Les Phillips Cup outings on Wednesday, October 29.

The Bucks found themselves three goals behind at home to Bridgwater United after just 30 minutes and with a mountain to climb.

They certainly gave it a good go though, recent arrival Jamie Simmonds opening his account for the club and Ryan Bush heading home from a Toby Hard cross to make it 3-2.

It seems that their fate was already sealed in the first-half though and so Buckland attentions now return to league football.

Ivybridge on the other hand, still have their league cup ambitions alive thanks to a noteworthy win over the Western League leaders (link).

Freddie Chapman got the ball rolling for Torpoint Athletic early on but that was as good as it got for the high-flyers, Kai Burrell equalising for the Ivies.

Joe Cook and Burrell notched after the break and substitute Charlie Menear wrapped it up at 4-1, but not before Torpoint were reduced to 10 men, talisman Curtis Damerell seeing red.

It doesn’t get any easier for Ben Washam and Brad Gargett’s young side as they welcome former leaders Clevedon Town to Erme Valley this weekend.

The Somerset side raced out in front but have since been caught by Torpoint- the pair are both on 39 points at the time of writing with Clevedon having played a game more.

Clevedon have lost just three times this season, the most recent of which coming at the hands of Buckland, captain Ben Carter scoring the only goal of the game at the North Somerset Community Stadium.

Equally, Ivybridge are performing better on home soil now and so will fancy their chances of causing another upset.

Buckland meanwhile are away from home, visiting Bradford Town. The Yellows won this fixture two months ago at The VX3 Stadium 2-1 thanks to goals from Ryan Bush and Jack Baxter, so they’ll be keen to do the double.

Bradford are four places and four points behind Buckland but have played twice more, in an extremely tight Western League.

Elsewhere, the South West Peninsula League is also fairly tight, yet there could well be a five-point gap at the summit.

Bovey Tracey AFC are two points ahead of their nearest challengers, Bridport FC, following the latter’s defeat at Newton Abbot Spurs (link), and Bovey have a game in hand as well.

Ben Gerring will be looking for his Bovey side to make it 18 games unbeaten in all competitions when they head to The Archie Gooch Pavilion tomorrow to take on seventh-placed Ilminster Town.

There is the potential for another slip-up by Bridport as they have a tough test against Cullompton Rangers at Adopstar Park. Cully are fourth, seven points behind Bridport with a game in hand.

Third-placed Newton Abbot Spurs don’t have a game this weekend and so will return to action on Saturday, November 8, when they play host to the aforementioned Cullompton.

Stoke Gabriel & Torbay Police could draw Spurs closer as well as Cullompton and/or Bridport, when they welcome Axminster Town to Broadley Lane.

The Tigers are bringing up the rear and are yet to collect a point so it could be a chance for Stoke to boost their goal difference as well.

Further down the table, Teignmouth AFC have a third successive game at Coombe Valley, the previous two ending in 2-0 defeats with Okehampton Argyle also at home.

Argyle beat Axminster 5-1 before then winning away at Crediton United, 2-0, in their local derby on Tuesday evening.

Back-to-back wins has them on 14 points and heading in the right direction with their next opposition being Bishops Lydeard, the side just one point ahead of Axminster.

This burst of form has taken them ahead of Teignmouth, who lost to Middlezoy Rovers on October 18 and then suffered the same fate at the hands of Crediton United seven days later.

They are 14th at the time of writing, three places and eight points adrift of their upcoming opponents Torridgeside AFC.

Finally now to the Southern League South, where a struggling Tavistock AFC team secured a big win over Bashley last weekend.

Losing the week prior to fellow strugglers Sporting Club Inkberrow was a setback, particularly after taking the lead. The Lambs responded well by beating Bashley though, the reliable Jack Crago scoring the only goal of the game at Langsford Park.

Tavi were, most recently, beaten 2-0 by Shaftesbury on Tuesday evening and on that same night, rock-bottom Brixham AFC, snatched a late point thanks to a Charlie Johansen strike.

Johansen also scored twice on the weekend as the Fishermen drew away at Winchester City. These two draws on the bounce aren’t enough to move them ahead of Tavi but it closes the gap.

Ahead of this weekend’s action, it is remarkably tight. Brixham in 22nd have eight points, then working upwards, Tavistock have 10, Melksham Town have 11, four sides have 12, two have 13 and three have 14. So much can change in a matter of days.

The Lambs return home for Saturday’s game and they will take on Didcot Town, one of the quartet on 12. A win would move them ahead of Didcot and potentially even out of the drop-zone so it promises to be an intriguing encounter.