STOKE Gabriel & Torbay Police didn’t let a midweek defeat get them down when they subsequently travelled to Torridgeside AFC.

After losing to Newton Abbot Spurs on Tuesday, August 26, joint manager Matt Hayden commented, “They wanted it more than us from the start which is disappointing for me.”

Alongside Sam Biscoe, he would have been hoping for a response and they got that on the scoreboard at the very least at Donnacroft Fields.

The South Hams side led 1-0 at the break, Saul Vanes breaking down the flank and then setting up Ben Aldous for the opener.

It was then a back-and-forth second 45, Kieran Parkin getting the ball rolling and doubling the Stoke lead.

Torridgeside hit back before Vanes added to his two assists with a goal of his own to restore the two-goal cushion.

The hosts scored again late on but a third alluded them, Stoke holding firm to get back to winning ways.

In the SW Peninsula League, this is a third victory in five games to go hand-in-hand with their FA Vase thrashing of St. Day.

With 10 points to their name and a goal difference of +9, the Bees are finely poised in seventh at the time of writing.

Elsewhere in this division, Spurs won again to bump themselves up to fourth, beating Bishops Lydeard by a single goal on their travels.

The headline game came at Mill Marsh Park though, the former stomping ground of Matt Hayden. Bovey Tracey AFC have added a lot of eye-catching talent to their ranks and it is paying dividends thus far as they hammered previous leaders Torrington AFC 8-0.

This has the Moorlanders in second currently behind Bridport FC, who capitalised on Torrington’s misfortune, beating Middlezoy Rovers 4-2 to take over at the top.

Next up for Stoke is a visit from Teignmouth AFC on Tuesday, September 2, before a weekend trip to a struggling Okehampton Argyle side.