BISHOPS LYDEARD 2-0 CREDITON UNITED

I LIKE going to Bishops Lydeard, where there is the most wonderful view of the Quantocks and a friendly ground with helpful people.

All this combined with a healthy slope, fortunately takes your mind off the football if that's necessary and it was on Saturday as both teams battled away without much happening in real terms.

Bishops are on a bit of a roll having won at Bridport and gone close against an in-form Cullompton side recently.

Crediton went into this game with both full backs missing and also there was no Tariq Gasmi up front who allegedly is on his way to Cullompton. Well who isn't?

Crediton played with two strikers in Jacob Fever and Seb Roche who tried their very best but have youth on their side and will learn from games like this.

Bishops played the more fluid football throughout although often applied the long ball and their home slope did them no favours as the ball constantly went out of play.

The game plodded along until the 38th minute when Bishops took the lead through a well taken finish and nearly made it two before the sides trundled in for the halftime earwigging.

The second half was only a minute or so old when keeper Lewis Slade could only parry a shot from the right into the path of a home player and the ball was soon in the net giving Bishops a 2-0 lead and Crediton a mountain to climb.

The rest of the match was largely the home side and the Crediton goalie had a lot more to do than his counterpart until the last couple of minutes.

Firstly Seb Roach had a chance to pull one back but his shot went just wide and then a last ditch effort from Louis Garnsworthy forced a fabulous save from the goalkeeper who somehow turned the ball over the bar.

So this was a routine defeat for the lads who did their best but this is a very young side and it may take some time until they can grasp enough of the experience that they need to start winning games more regularly.

Next week it's the long trip to Sticker in the League Cup.

Crediton team: Slade, Male, Leach, McKenzie, Garnsworthy, Perry, Littlejohns, Butterfield, Roach, Fever, Lo. Subs: Ebdon, Quessou, Smith.

Man of the Match: Louis Garnsworthy.

Paul Whittall