BUDLEIGH SALTERTON (Greenway Lane)

SOUTH WEST PENINSULA LEAGUE DIVISION ONE EAST, BUDLEIGH SALTERTON 1-2 SIDMOUTH TOWN, ATTENDANCE: 85

The first game of my Good Friday trilogy led me to Budleigh Salterton, a small costal town in East Devon. The beauty of this hobby is that it takes you to places you have never heard of!

A little research informs me that Sir Walter Raleigh was born nearby and the town is the location for the painting 'The Boyhood of Raleigh' by Sir John Everett Millais. A blue plaque is affixed to The Octagon from where the picture was painted. Apparently.

Budleigh Salterton also gets a namecheck in The legendary Shirehorses song '(now) I know (where I'm going) our kid'

Budleigh Salterton Football Club was founded in 1908 and played in the East Devon League until joining the Devon & Exeter League in 1919. They remained here until 1995 when they were promoted to the Devon County League. They won the Devon County League at the first attempt and once again in 2000 but it wasn't until 2011 that they accepted promotion to the South West Peninsula League.

Budleigh have played at Greenway Lane since 1952. There is a clubhouse (no real ales but very tasty pasties) and two bits of cover, a small pre-fab seated stand and a small terrace behind one of the goal. In 2001 floodlights were erected which allowed Budleigh to compete in the FA Vase, their best performance so far was when they reached the first round proper in 2003.

Today they were taking on their rivals from down the coast Sidmouth Town. You could say it was a typical derby with lots of blood and thunder tackles and niggly fouls. This made for a scrappy first half but both teams did manage to find the net. Mike Benyon (24) opened the scoring for the visitors before Jake Greenslade equalised for the homesters in first half stoppage time.

The second half was a much better affair as both teams concentrated on playing football. It was Sidmouth though who scored a winner to take the three points when Cameron Vere (59) headed home.