IVYBRIDGE Town’s Western League rivals Buckland Athletic got back to winning ways when Bradford Town visited them at Homers Heath on Saturday, August 30.

Bucks manager Matt Cusack stressed that “it was important we got the response from the lads”, following a midweek defeat away at Sidmouth Town.

After 20 minutes or so, Cusack saw his striker Jared Lewington stretchered off with what he said “looks like quite a serious knee injury.”

Ryan Bush was sent on his place and he made an instant impact, latching on to a Ben Carter through ball and converting with great composure.

One quickly became two in the pouring rain, Jack Baxter’s inventiveness from a corner catching out Bradford. He was the short option and he chose to drive down the byline, firing in a low cross that deflected into the net for an own goal.

The Somerset side were offered a route back into the game though as their number nine, Josiah McKayle, went down in the area after a trip from former Ivies defender Scott Pocock.

Pocock was one of four players to switch the Greens for the Yellows in the summer and McKayle converted the penalty beyond another of those, sending goalkeeper Jordan Duffey the wrong way to halve the deficit.

Buckland maintained this lead heading into half-time and the second 45 then passed by with little no incident. Meanwhile, the inclement weather showed no sign of letting up.

Jake Lane and Sean Thomson, the other half of the Ivybridge-to-Buckland quartet, also played the full 90 minutes in this one.

This is a fourth win of the Western League campaign for Cusack’s side, who sit sixth on 13 points at the time of writing, four points and three places ahead of the Town.