CREDITON United Football Club is pleased to report that the new floodlights at its Lords Meadow ground are now up and running.

The previous, system installed in 1993, had become very unreliable and the annual maintenance identifying problems laborious. Hopefully the upgrade will be of great benefit for generations of Crediton United players to come.

The cost of the floodlights, £26,000 plus, has been financed substantially by a Football Association’s Football Stadia Improvement Grant, a donation by the Devon County F.A. and also by the generous support from local businesses and individuals to a “floodlight appeal” organised by Club President Dave Blanchford for which the Club is extremely grateful.

It is intended soon to erect a sign at the ground acknowledging the benefactors of the floodlight scheme.

The dreadful weather affecting sport in the Westcountry leading up to Saturday, November 2 meant that very few games were played in either the East or West Divisions of the South West Peninsula League.

Fortunately Crediton United were due to play Plymouth Marjohns away so were able to take advantage of the opportunity to play at the Marjohns University Campus on the only Astro surface in either of the Peninsula League Divisions.

Luckily the bad weather travelling down the A38 had eased by the time the team and supporters arrived in Plymouth.

In the opening period Crediton found it difficult to master the artificial surface particularly controlling the bounce of the ball with the wind at their backs. With the home team only having won three of their opening 18 games and a goal difference of minus 42, normally team manager Matt Trenaman would have been confident of a victory.

But the Crediton team took a long time mastering the artificial surface. With very few scoring chances at either end half-time arrived with the score 0-0.

Fifteen minutes into the second period the home team took a shock lead with Elliott Cunningham beating the home defence to break through and slot home an excellent strike unchallenged to establish 1-0 lead.

Shortly afterwards the scorer turned provider, setting up James Battle to score a second for Marjohns and what looked like a winning lead.

Matt Trenaman decided to make some changes and the introduction of Richard Edworthy, Simon Durrant and Callum Vanstone brought new life to the Crediton attack and soon afterwards a penalty was awarded to them for a tackle on Jordan Lovibond, and Finn Ahearne despatched this to reduce the arrears.

With Simon Durrant’s influence in the midfield Crediton pressed hard for an equaliser which duly came when Durrant himself broke through the Marjohn’s defence to slide the ball into the right-hand corner of the net with just about enough power to cross the line.

At 2-2 the Crediton supporters would have been quite happily resigned for an “away draw” but the home team were devastated by a last minute goal for Crediton.

A free kick from the right-hand side found Steve Goss unmarked on the far post and, “re-energised” following a 10-minute break in the “sin-bin”, Steve powered a header into the top of the home team’s net.

Not a classic away victory, and a big relief for the travelling supporters, but vital for Crediton United as the result an extra three points elevated them to a “dizzy” ninth position in the East Division and the satisfaction that they are able to compete well with any team in the League.

The team has a good mixture of experienced and promising young players and this bodes well for the future.

The defence has been excellent all season with “goals conceded” one of the lowest in the league. Hopefully the signing of young striker Jordan Lovibond, who has had experience with Dorchester, Bridgwater, and Paulton Rovers will take some of the pressure off Kenny Ord and add to our goal tally upfront.

The Club’s Reserves team, under new manager Danny Harvey and “evergreen” player and assistant manager Nigel Thomas, have been leading the Devon and Exeter First Division all season and have to-date lost only one of their seven league games.

Hopefully they can carry on successfully to get promoted to the Premier Division next season.

On Saturday, November 9, weather permitting, the First team travel to Dartmouth and the Reserves travel to Axminster to play Millwey Rise in a Devon Senior Cup Second round tie.

CRG