WINKLEIGH FC went in to the game in great form on Saturday, May 15, but knew Halwill were coming with nothing to lose but everything to gain in a game which promised a feisty encounter.

With both teams boasting an impressive squad, it was a cautious start with limited chances for the first 30 minutes.

Halwill slightly dominated the possession and their best chance rocketed off the bar from close range.

Winkleigh grew in to the game and began to create their own chances and a flashed ball across the box was inches away from being tapped in at the far post.

Personal rivalries were beginning to show throughout the teams which has become a regular theme in this fixture over the past couple of seasons.

Halwill did have the ball in the net on the stroke of half-time but an offside flag ruled it out, which lead to tempers flaring at the half-time whistle.

The second half began in the same fashion but with Winkleigh dominating the possession and struggling to create anything of real threat to a very organised Halwill defence.

The game was brought in to controversy on the 60th minute mark when a straight red card was shown to Halwill midfielder Carlo Chandler for an apparent “headstamp” on Winkleigh player, Will Hallett.

The contact was clear with a heavy bleed to the head but the “intent” was the controversy.

Halwill, now defending for their lives with 10 men and, in-fact, was the team that went ahead when a last-ditch mis-timed challenge from Tom Robinson left the referee with an easy decision to give a penalty to Halwill.

This was calmly slotted away to make the score 1-0.

Halwill were fired up and defended with everything they had.

Winkleigh attacked and attacked, hitting the bar on three different occasions and having a series of shots blocked, saved and stopped – it was proving this wasn’t going to be their day.

Tempers flared as the game ended with a Halwill away win that shifted the look of the league.

Winkleigh will dust themselves off and go again with an eagerly return fixture in a couple weeks for the mid Devon team to have their revenge where either team could still finish top.

Even though there is no relegations/promotions both teams showed that there is no such thing as a friendly.

Tom Robinson