2nd Team Vs Isca 6

North Devon 2nd XI maintained their excellent start to the season and their push for promotion with a gritty 2-1 win over ISCA 6th team on Saturday. Having been decimated by injuries and unavailability, the reds started with 10 men and were grateful to Liam Toland for throwing a shirt on having only planned to come and watch his son Fionn play. However, Noth Devon started the stronger of the two sides, Captain Rob Wheeler looking strong in the centre of midfield with Scott Paddon, and David Orr and Fionn Toland causing the ISCA defense problems. The Reds were unlucky not to be ahead after early pressure, the ball being inches away from Toland Jr's stick from a short corner attack, and Orr and Paddon also going close. 

With a strong backline marshalled by Matt Brown and Simon Clements there were not too many causes for alarm, though occasional mistakes happen North Devon were quick to stamp them out. Half-time arrived with the game yet to see a goal, and the Reds regrouped and went hard at it again. Rewarded by early pressure, a sucession of short corners seemed destined to earn a North Devon goal, but striker David Orr was really unlucky to see a effort come back off a defenders stick into his face, and had to leave the field for treatment. The Reds dug in with 10 men, and Orr was able to return to the field after some treatment and hastily applied bandages. It was then that ISCA struck, a breakaway goal that keeper Chris Clifton was unable to stop. This seemed to galvanise the home side, the ball started to be moved around much quicker and Orr equalised with a fierce finish from a tight angle over the keepers shoulder. North Devon kept up the pressure, and it was from a short corner that the winner was struck by Matt Brown, for his first competitive goal in a good few years. 

Victory keeps the 2nd XI top of their league, yet to drop a point and looking forward to pushing on in the run of games towards the end of the year.