Exmouth Town started the new year in superb fashion, as they beat Bristol Manor Farm 3-0 at the NL Services Stadium in the Southern League Division One South.

A goal in first half stoppage time from Tom Bath put Town ahead, with Aarron Denny and Ryan Crawford securing all three points for the visitors, whilst two red cards to Elliot Nicholson and Sean Keet saw the hosts end the game with nine-men.

It was the Portwaymen who started the game stronger, with Kian Hill a constant threat on the left hand side, as he had an effort which was straight at Aaron Dearing.

Bailey Croome would look to get himself into the game, and he drifted out to the left before drilling the ball across goal which was not met by anyone in a red shirt.

The forward would get in behind once again, and met with a similar result, as his slower squared ball drifted across the goal line.

Town would provide their own threat, and Sam Morcom came close to scoring from a free-kick, as his effort struck the top of the bar.

Exmouth slowly grew into the game, forcing Owen Crawford to parry a cross near the path of Bath, but Matt Wright could not quite divert his awkward pass in.

Dearing would be called into action following a superb Hill effort, which was headed into the top-corner until the goalkeeper got a hand to it.

The visitors would take the lead right at the end of the half, as a corner was headed on by Wright into Mike Landricombe, and his effort was helped in by Bath, he threw himself at the ball to ensure it went in.

Manor Farm would start the half strong once again, as they aimed to fight back into the game, although this time round they would not create as much going forward.

The second half was spent mostly in the midfield, with neither team establishing themselves as the superior.

Three of the home defenders had been booked in the first half, and this proved costly on the 76th minute, as Ben Steer got in behind Nicholson, who received a second yellow card for the foul.

Dearing was forced into action soon after, as he did well to react to a late bounce to deny Jack Kardogan’s edge of the box effort.

The game swung into life in the last ten minutes, as Town thought they’d secured all three points when Ed Butcher squared to Steer, but he put his shot wide from close range.

Exmouth would get the goal they needed when Callum Shipton switched the ball across to Denny, and he cooly finished into the bottom corner.

Manor Farm would see themselves go down to nine men in stoppage time, as an off the ball incident saw Keet dismissed.

The hosts misery would be complied in the 96th minute, as the ball was cut back to Jacob Shore, and whilst his attempt was saved, it fell perfectly to Crawford, who headed home.

It was a superb away win for Exmouth, who will have their first home game of the year against Hartpury next Saturday.

Line-Up: Dearing, Shipton, Morcom, Cann, Landricombe, Griffith (Edwards, 81), Slater, Denny, Steer (Crawford, 90), Bath (Butcher, 83), Wright (Shore, 94).

Subs Not Used: Rice (GK).