WELLINGTON went down to their second defeat in four days when they were beaten 3-0 away by newly-promoted Sidmouth Town in the Premier Division of the Jewson Western League.

The match began in bizarre fashion — or rather, it didn’t. Just 33 seconds after kick-off, all the floodlights went out, plunging Manstone Lane into darkness and prompting a temporary halt in play.

Thankfully, after a brief delay, the game resumed and it was the hosts who shone brightest. Sidmouth came close in just the second minute, rattling the post with a header from an early corner. The visitors responded with a free-kick in the seventh minute, but it was comfortably blocked by the wall.

The breakthrough came in the 11th minute. Sidmouth’s Zack Williams was allowed too much space on the edge of the area and made Wellington pay, curling a precise effort into the far corner to give the hosts a deserved lead.

Wellington tried to respond with a speculative effort from Jacob Shore in the 21st minute, but it sailed harmlessly over the bar. Sidmouth, meanwhile, continued to threaten and might have doubled their advantage in the 26th minute, only to fire over after a swift break.

As the half wore on, Wellington found some joy down the flanks, with Oscar Albano and Nathan Byrne combining well in the 40th minute, but the final ball was lacking, and Sidmouth quickly turned defence into attack — although without further reward before the break.

The second half followed a similar pattern and, just seven minutes in, Sidmouth extended their lead with a header by Cholwe Hachipuka. Wellington struggled to mount a serious response, and the game was effectively over in the 72nd minute when another unmarked header from a corner, this time by Danny Pym, made it 3–0.

Wellington entertain another promoted side Newquay on Saturday, October 4 (3p.m.).