WHEREAS some sports pause for the Easter weekend, football reaches another gear and many local teams will have two games in quick succession.

Tavistock AFC’s relegation out of the Southern League South has been highly probable for a while and it is now confirmed.

With three wins and four draws up against their 29 league defeats, they have long since been cut adrift at the foot of the table.

Steve Tully, who replaced long-term Lambs boss Stuart Henderson at the end of February, will now look to restore some pride in the final stretch, whilst also preparing the club for life back at step five.

After losing his first two games in charge, Tully picked up successive draws against Mousehole AFC and Bristol Manor Farm. They have since lost six on the spin, the latest a 4-0 home defeat at the hands of Larkhall Athletic on Tuesday, March 31.

The Lambs have fixtures on both Good Friday and Easter Monday, welcoming Malvern Town to Langsford Park tomorrow first. When Tavistock headed to Malvern back in December, they were heavily beaten 5-1, Jacob Bowker with the goal.

From one promotion hopeful to another as Tully then takes his team to third-placed Portishead Town, who are four points behind Malvern at the time of writing.

A trio of home outings follow against Swindon Supermarine, Shaftesbury and Hartpury before concluding the campaign away at Willand Rovers on Saturday, April 25.

Buckland Athletic’s playoff hopes in the Jewson Western League are slowly slipping through their fingers having not won in four.

They drew three in a row, including against Oldland Abbotonians on Saturday, March 28, before then losing 5-3 in a thrilling clash with Paulton Rovers (Tuesday 31).

Matt Cusack’s side are a point behind fifth-placed Sidmouth Town and have played one game more, with just two still to come.

Good Friday brings a Devon derby away at the in-form Ivybridge Town, who they beat 2-0 in the reverse on Boxing Day.

Helston Athletic, Cusack’s former club, visit The VX3 Stadium on Easter Monday for Buckland’s final game. Should they win both, the Yellows will then be reliant on Sidmouth picking up five points or less from their matches against Bridgwater United, Wellington AFC and Helston.

Meanwhile, the aforementioned Ivybridge Town have re-entered the top half of the table thanks to a strong patch of form.

After losing three straight games between the end of February and start of March, the Greens are unbeaten in six. In that period, they beat Helston, St Blazey and Street whilst drawing with Brislington, Oldland and Paulton.

Ben Washam and Brad Gargett’s men will be hopeful of further derailing Buckland’s playoff push when they welcome them to Erme Valley tomorrow, and they could have a say in the title race as well.

Torpoint Athletic (3rd) are their guests on Easter Monday and Ivybridge then travel to Paulton (2nd) on Saturday, April 11. Their final fixture takes them to Bridgwater the following weekend.

Perhaps the pick of the fixtures in the days ahead is the South Devon derby between Newton Abbot Spurs and Teignmouth AFC.

The pair will go to battle tomorrow at The Rec with a noon kick-off and after 1-1 draw on Boxing Day in the reverse, this could really go either way.

Form and league position favours Spurs but Teignmouth have sprung surprises on Stoke Gabriel & Torbay Police, Bridport FC and Torridgeside AFC, also taking points off of the likes of Ilminster Town and Torrington AFC.

Both then have the swift turnaround for Monday, Spurs playing at home again but this time hosting Ilfracombe Town, whilst Teignmouth host Ilminster at Coombe Valley.

Bovey Tracey AFC surpassed 100 goals scored in the SW Peninsula League Premier East as they put eight past Okehampton Argyle on March 31.

The Moorlanders won their last two games but are still being matched step-for-step by Bridport- Bovey’s three fixtures in hand will be the decisive factor at this rate.

They are afforded a relatively quiet Easter weekend in comparison, visiting Stoke Gabriel at Broadley Lane on Saturday for their only game. Action returns on Tuesday 8, taking on Plymouth Parkway in their St Luke’s Challenge Cup semi-final at Mill Marsh Park.

Stoke Gabriel’s form has been patchy in the last couple of months and they will be keen to exact revenge for the December 26th defeat away at Bovey Tracey.

After clashing with Bovey on Saturday, they’re at home once more two days later, taking on a resurgent Bishops Lydeard side.

Okehampton Argyle are seeing their season peter out and will be glad to get their final two games out of the way.

First up, they host Ilfracombe at Simmons Park on Saturday and then two weeks later, they can finish on a high by toppling Bishops Lydeard up in Somerset.

The South Devon Football League is operating slightly differently with the majority of their games taking place on Saturday.

Tomorrow, after Newton Abbot Spurs 1st XI’s league outing at The Rec, their 3rd XI are hosting Bovey Tracey AFC 2nd XI in the Dartmouth Cup for a 15:15 kick-off.

Their 2nd XI will then visit Buckfastleigh Rangers at Duckspond in the Premier Division, getting underway at 19:30.

All other fixtures are scheduled for Saturday including ninth-placed Ilsington Villa vs seventh-placed Kingsteignton Athletic in the top-flight, Beesands Rovers (5th) vs Mount Gould (3rd) in Division One, East Allington United 2nd XI (3rd) vs Signal Box Oak Villa (1st) in Division Two, South Brent (8th) vs Stoke Gabriel 2nd XI (6th) in Division Three, Brixham Town 2nd XI (4th) vs Chudleigh Athletic 2nd XI (1st) and Watts Blake Bearne vs Chudleigh Athletic in the Herald Cup.