IF they do win the title, Buckland Athletic will make sure the Carlsberg South West Peninsula League also strike a medal for Newton Abbot physiotherapist Esme Fone at the end of the season.

The Premier Division leaders are home for the third game running tomorrow when they host third-from-bottom Liskeard Athletic.

And it's Esme who manager Phil Bayliss has put his trust in as she continues to assist players recovering from a two-games a week schedule when they would otherwise struggle to play from Saturday to Saturday.

"Esme does most of her work with our Premier Division rivals Bovey Tracey, but we're delighted she's found time to help us as well over the past three weeks," said Bayliss.

"She's actually been with Buckland Athletic since last season to help out with physio sessions when it was suitable to both parties.

"However, we've been especially grateful over the past three weeks, because she's managed to get players out on the pitch when there looked to be little chance of them making it.

"She's been caring for their bruised and battered muscles since we started a run of two games every week. And that includes the build-up to tomorrow having also played last Saturday and again on Tuesday.

"We realise Esme is affiliated to Bovey Tracey, but everyone at the club feels a sense of gratitude for what she's done up to now."

Tuesday's 5-2 win over Elburton Villa stretched Buckland's lead at the top of the table to seven points over closest rivals Bodmin Town, with Bayliss growing in confidence as to their chances of lifting the championship for the first time.

"I think the players are beginning to smell something, especially after Plymouth Parkway slipped up (1-1) against Ivybridge in midweek and Bodmin dropped two home points to Dartmouth last Saturday," said Bayliss.

He added: "I always felt, if we could open a gap of seven points, it would put pressure on our rivals for the title, and we can increase that pressure with three more points tomorrow.

"We're not, though, approaching the game believing we need only turn up.

"Liskeard may be near the bottom but, like Elburton, they'll have nothing to lose, everything to gain. Everyone's expecting us to beat them, so they'll go for broke. Why not?"

Liam Moseley is unavailable and Marc Revell is one of Esme's patients with a foot injury having missed the last two games.

"He'll start on the bench if Esme can work another of her miracles, but it's a squad game and we have six or seven players on the bench waiting for their chance," added Bayliss, who plans to be at tonight's game between Bodmin and fourth placed Torpoint.

DARTMOUTH AFC entertain Falmouth Town - the third game running in which they've faced sides in the top three.

First it was Buckland, which finished in a 5-2 defeat, and then Bodmin at Priory Park where player-manager Jamie Bennellick's side squeezed a point in a totally unexpected goal-less draw last Saturday.

"Hopefully we can turn this one into a win, but they're exciting games to look forward to," said Bennellick.

"Last week was especially pleasing: not just because it was a draw against the defending champions, but because I was looking for a reaction to the Buckland defeat, and because we've struggled to keep a clean sheet all season."

Dartmouth's performance at the back was all the more creditable considering Richie Hammett was missing with an ankle injury and Kevin Causley was switched from attack to centre-half with Tom Comyn taking over Causley's role.

"I've always said we could do with four or five Kevin Causleys in the team," praised Bennellick.

"We asked him to deal with Bodmin's former Plymouth Argyle striker Danny O'Hagan, and he marked him out of the game. Kevin also played and scored twice for the Reserves in midweek, and just loves to play the game."

Hammett is also missing tomorrow with his injury, so expect Bennellick and assistant player-manager Lance Worthington to go with last week's starting eleven.

Commented Bayliss: "We started against Bodmin with new signing (from Bovey Tracey) Scott Kaazikmae in midfield for the first time before taking him and Sam Churchill off after 70 minutes.

"It was nothing more than a fitness thing after both had missed previous games, and they'll be ready to start all over again against Falmouth."

BOVEY TRACEY approach tomorrow's game at Launceston with player-manager Tom Kelly not only back in charge, but naming himself in the starting line-up following last weekend's 5-0 collapse against Falmouth Town.

Kelly was elsewhere with his former Exeter City team-mates at St James Park to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their winning the Football League's Fourth Division championship in 1990, but admits the celebrations were spoiled when he heard Bovey's score-line.

"It put a real dampener on the weekend," said Kelly.

"It wasn't just the result, but the performance and attitude of the team that concerned me, not least having asked Russell Musker to take charge of the side while I was elsewhere."

Musker, a former team-mate of Kelly's at Torquay United and Kelly's manager at Taunton Town, did Kelly a similar favour for two games in December with a measure of success.

However, it all went pear shaped once the third Falmouth goal went in, and that's something Kelly says he won't tolerate.

"Rightly or wrongly, I've established a reputation in both codes of the game for total commitment, and I don't want people to ever say that a team that I had influence over, lay down and died.

"I'm back tomorrow, so if it's left to a guy nearly 46 years of age to lift our game, then so be it."

Centre-half Ben Head also returns after suspension, but striker Liam McAuley continues to sit it out through suspension.

"He's a big loss, but we have to carry on without him," said Kelly, adding:

" The main thing is that we've trained twice this week and I shall be looking for a huge response after what I learned from last Saturday.

"I was all ready to join in celebrations with my former Exeter City team-mates after the game against Oldham Athletic in Coca Cola League One. That was five o'clock, but I was home by 6.30 on the strength of what I'd been told."

BODMIN TOWN entertain Torpoint Athletic tonight, leaving five other Premier Division fixtures tomorrow - Witheridge against Saltash United, Tavistock (Ivybridge Town), Plymouth Parkway (St Blazey), Elburton Villa (Holsworthy) and Wadebridge Town (Cullompton Rangers).