National League Three South West

Ivybridge 15,

Bournemouth 14

Ivybridge face a stern test this weekend when they travel to Weston-super-Mare to take on Hornets, who currently sit fourth in the table writes Tim Leigh.

The Bridge will be buoyed, however, by the fact that they ended a four-game losing streak with victory over Bournemouth at Cross-in-Hand last weekend.

The win was made all the more impressive given they were 14-0 down at half time and staring down the barrel of defeat number five.

Ivybridge senior coach Neil Thomson was very pleased to stop the rot though was at a loss to explain the symmetry between this season and last, when they also went on a losing run in November.

He said: ‘It was lovely to get the win, the boys really wanted it. We asked for a big second-half performance, obviously, as we were 14-0 down and we were excellent.

‘The boys are in good spirits, Dom Loomes is back, Jordan Anderton had a couple of stitches in his head but he should be back in, and Gareth Elliott should be on the bench after being absent working with Exeter Chiefs.

‘I think Billy Pinkus will start and George DeMendonca will be on the bench.

We’ve got a good strong squad, the boys are up for it so we’re looking forward to the game.’

‘We’ve got three games left before the new year, which is the halfway point of the season, so if we can get a couple of wins that would be good. By new year we’ll have played every team once so we’ll know where we are.’

The victory means Ivybridge are still in ninth place, two points ahead of league veterans Newton Abbot.

They are intriguingly poised at the moment, being 11 points off the top of the table and 11 points off the relegation places.

Following tomorrow’s clash with Hornets, the Bridge face the league’s basement boys Chippen­ham at Cross-in Hand on December 12 before travelling to Old Centralians, who sit 12th, in December 19.

A win in both these games, by no means unlikely, would give a significant boost to Ivybridge’s league table before the second half of the season gets un­der way.