After two weeks of inactivity, frozen pitches followed by threats of flooding and a Saturday morning downpour that would have graced a tropical rainstorm, Newton Abbot Spurs away on a Recreation Ground surface which has always been well looked after and the last to be affected by inclement conditions promised to be a tough test of the league leaders and that was exactly what unfolded. Two very late withdrawals also left only 12 to choose from although Owen Williams' role in the middle of midfield was testament to the flexibility of the squad in that he was the only one asked to play out of position. However, things could not have started worse as Stoke lost the ball straight from kick off, the ball travelled down their right to the by-line and following two passes inside the ball was driven home from 12 yards by Adam Dyson inside two minutes. Clearly rattled, Stoke took time to settle and it wasn't until 18 minutes that Lewis Robinson's threaded pass found Glen Palmer who rounded Neil Comerford in the Spurs goal and side footed in between two covering defenders on the goal line. This settled the Railwaymen and they began to dominate before taking the lead on 38 minutes when Kevin Wills' run into the penalty area from the left saw him tackled from behind before he rose to send Comerford the wrong way from the spot kick. Stoke ended the half looking confident and in the ascendancy but just when it seemed they would go on and win comfortably, a battling Spurs side drew level on 65 minutes when a long diagonal ball over Simon Armstrong saw Dyson get in behind and curl an astute shot around Chris Bashford into the far corner. This proved to be only a blip however as within five minutes Stoke had regained the lead when Mark Newbould assumed corner taking duties from Jimmy Holland and his first effort found Ty Hawken coming off the line and powering home a bullet header from six yards. "What now?" was the question being posed by the home crowd and the answer came on 77 minutes when Kev WIlls' astute reverse pass found Palmer who, just as it seemed had lost his balance, managed to shoot home past Comerford to seal the points. Some tough questions had been posed by Spurs during this game, whose battling qualities belied their lowly league position but Stoke prevailed and a challenge which may have proved a step too far in recent seasons was overcome to establish a 4 point lead at the top of the division.