NEWTON Abbot Spurs gave manager Marc Revell the ideal send-off in the Walter C Parson SW Peninsula League.
They hosted Torrington AFC on Saturday, April 26 for the final game of the campaign and they prevailed 5-1 in the sunshine.
Revell told the Mid-Devon Advertiser that, “Second is a good achievement but it would have been a double defeat to lose [to Torrington] and to lose the title [to Sidmouth Town].”
Toby Pullman netted a hat-trick, not his first of the season, with Tyler Joint and Tom Lobb also on target for the home side.
The final standings have Spurs five points clear of third-placed Bridport FC and Revell had nothing but praise for the 1st team players that got the job done.
“To go from Buckland to Spurs, there is a mixture of respect and rivalry so not everyone welcomed me at first”, said Revell.
He added, “A lot of first-teamers left and I had a young and inexperienced side so there was plenty of doubt. People have since admitted they were wrong though and I feel like I’ve left them in a good position. They’re a good unit- two or three might leave as you naturally do and as many as 11 could probably play Western League football.”
As has been previously reported, the manager is stepping away to focus on his son’s pursuit of professional football with Exeter City. “I’m gutted to be leaving, it’s circumstantial, my son deserves my time now and I will follow him all the way.”
Newton Spurs are “A great club with a great setup. A proper football club with everyone pulling in the same direction.”
The departing manager noted that he “would still support them” and “get down to The Rec” when he can. After all, “football is still [his] hobby” and Revell is sure “he’ll be itching in two years” to return to management.
Elsewhere in the Peninsula League, Bovey Tracey AFC also rounded out their season with a success, edging out Crediton United at Mill Marsh Park in a seven-goal thriller.
Tom Burt (2), Oli Aplin and captain Neil Last scored the goals for Bovey as they came back from 3-1 behind to make it five wins from five. Ben Gerring has enjoyed a promising start to life as the Moorlanders’ manager and they finished in a very respectable eighth place.
Teignmouth AFC suffered recent defeats to Sidmouth and Middlezoy Rovers and still have one game to go, as they head to Bishops Lydeard tomorrow. They have been right up against it from the get-go and so for Liam Jones’ side to persist is huge credit to the whole group and the whole club in fact.
Fingers crossed for a lot more stability next season as the Teigns look to put off-the-field ground issues behind them.
Other results in the division, on the final weekend of the campaign, saw Bishops Lydeard beat Okehampton Argyle 1-0, Stoke Gabriel & Torbay Police put five unanswered goals past Honiton Town and Torridgeside AFC fall 4-1 at home to Elburton Villa.
The aforementioned clash between Teignmouth and Bishops Lydeard is the only league game still to come with champions Sidmouth heading up to the Western League and rock-bottom Axminster Town being relegated to the Devon Football League.