Bideford made it back-to-back league wins for the first time this season as goals from Billy Tucker and Finn Roberts helped see off Larkhall Athletic.

Larkhall were the team in form coming into the game with one defeat in their last six but it was Bideford who made a lightning quick start to the contest.

With a minute on the clock, Tucker played a great ball over the top for Jamie Hearsey to latch onto and he was pulled back in the box by Will Merrett for a clear penalty. Tucker stepped up to drill a low shot past Adam Forster from 12 yards.

Birthday boy Jordan Ewing headed wide from a Tucker cross while at the other end Mike Searle made a comfortable save from Jack Camm in the only other moments of note in the opening half an hour.

Bideford had a great chance to double their lead in the 32nd minute as Hearsey was sent clean through by a brilliant ball from Roberts but he sent his effort over the bar past the advancing Forster.

The Robins went even closer soon after as Roberts sent a low ball into the box which Josh Webber diverted into the path of Ewing who was very unfortunate to see his back heel come back off the post into the grateful arms of Forster.

Just minutes later Alex Byrne ventured forward and slotted the ball through to Ewing again whose well hit strike was parried upwards by Forster only to then bounce back off the crossbar and once again into the arms of the Larkhall goalkeeper.

Ewing must’ve been beginning to think it just wasn’t his day as a Webber cross fell to him in first half injury time. The striker’s shot this time beat Forster only to be hacked away by Merrett.

Bideford did get a much deserved second goal just a minute later after Webber had been fouled 25 yards from goal. Roberts lined up the free kick and drove a great low strike under the wall and into the bottom corner despite the despairing dive of Forster.

The second half saw Larkhall come back into the contest but not before Webber pulled a low shot wide at the near post for The Robins.

Searle made a smart reaction save from Ryan Beckinsale’s close range header before a goal was ruled out for a foul just past the hour mark.

Substitute Spencer Dymond-Hall began to cause problems down the left and his cut back in the 73rd minute was met by Camm but his strike cleared the crossbar.

The visitors halved the deficit in the 81st minute after a scramble from a corner ended with Harvey Pritchard stabbed the ball home from a yard out.

Bideford however stood firm and reduced The Larks to little in the remaining minutes. The closest they came was a Dymond-Hall cross which Searle parried away and then made a great claim in a crowded box from the resulting corner.

Bideford: Searle, Richards, L Slough, Gardner, Byrne (Winsor 46) (Wright 86), Tucker (F Roberts 30), Moyse, Reay, Webber, Hearsey, Ewing. Subs not used: Short, Shearer.

Goals:
Bideford: Tucker 2 pen, F Roberts 45+4
Larkhall Athletic: Pritchard 81

Attendance: 197