Match Preview
Bideford AFC v Yate Town
Southern League Division One South
Saturday 22nd March 2025 - Kick-off 3pm
Yate Town travel to Devon to play Bideford AFC on Saturday having got back to winning ways at Westbury United on Tuesday evening with a 2-1 win. With 7 games to go and a five-point lead at the top of the table there are just five weeks left before the last game of the season, at home to Didcot Town on 26th April. Yate Town manager, Darren Mullings, will hopefully be able to select from a fully fit squad, if Dan Dempsey reports fit, following an injury that kept him out of Tuesday night’s game.
Form Guide
Bideford currently sit in 17th position, one place above the relegation places, in the table having won 9 of their 33 games played so far, drawing 11 and losing 13, scoring 40 goals and conceding 52.
Their form has dipped since the turn of the year and you have to go back to 18th January, 11 games ago, to find their last win, when they beat Helston 1-0 at home, with a late goal from Archie Reay. Bideford lost 1-2 at home to Falmouth the following Saturday with Scott Robinson scoring their goal. Since then, Bideford have drawn 6 games, including the one at the South West Interiors Stadium on Tuesday 4th February when a Lewis Hall own goal gave them a share of the points in a 1-1 draw. Others were 1-1 at Melksham, 3-3 at home to Malvern, a goalless draw at Tavistock and 1-1 draws at Bemerton and at home to Thatcham. Prior to the last two draws was a 1-2 reversal at home to Bashley and their last two games have seen them lose 1-3 at Evesham and 1-2 at Larkhall but, encouragingly for them, Matthew Buchan has returned to the side and scored twice in the last three games.
Previous meetings
Yate Town and Bideford have already met twice this season, firstly in the FA Trophy back in September when the Bluebells won 2-0 win with goals from substitutes and Oli Jenkins and Wayne Nderemani. The crowd was 262. The league game at the South West Interiors Stadium ended in a 1-1 draw with Lucas Tomlinson putting Yate in front in the first half, before a shot was deflected off Yate defender, Lewis Hall, to level the scores 20 minutes from time.
Action from the game played in February when the teams drew 1-1. Nick McCootie in a tussle to gain possession.
Last season the teams met on 18th November for the first time in a League fixture down in Devon when Lewis Hill scored just before half-time for the home side only for Milo Murgatroyd to come off the bench and equalise for Yate Town, this being the only goal that Murgatroyd scored for the club. The crowd was 280.
In the return game played on 24th February Yate Town won 1-0 when Bideford defender, Tyler Yendle, scored an own goal after just 11 minutes. The crowd was 259.
The previous meetings before this were in season 2018/19 when Yate won 2-0 at home with goals from Peare and Langworthy but Bideford won their home game 3-1 with Warwick scoring Yate’s goal
Getting there:
If travelling to Bideford by car, the postcode of the ground is EX39 2NG. The 114-mile journey from Yate, via the M5, A361 and the A39 should take about 2 hours 20 minutes. The Sports Ground is not far from where you have crossed the River Torridge and has a capacity of 6,300 with 375 seats.
Next Up
Next weekend Yate Town entertain Bemerton who are to visitors to the South West Interiors Stadium on Saturday 29th March.