Dartmouth hosted Newton Abbot this week, and it showed that Dartmouth needed the game and the pitch.

All credit to the Dartmouth ladies for showing grit, determination and the will to win. They are desperate to train on a pitch. Training on Coronation Park is alright for fitness, but you ­cannot beat a proper training surface.

All that said, Dartmouth came away with another win and are unbeaten this season. And they will only get better as the season progresses.

Newton are notoriously hard to break down and Dartmouth had to change formation to break the deadlock.

Ellie Malley once again cemented her position as first-choice goalkeeper by making a brilliant reactive save to keep Dartmouth in the game in the 12th minute. That scare motivated the Dartmouth ladies, and with 19 minutes gone Lucy Pillar eased the Dartmouth nerves.

Hannah Pillar sent a long ball deep from within her own half to Mandy Servan; Mandy slipped the ball through to Alex Vincent in the opposition’s D, which saw Alex unselfishly passing the ball back to Lucy, who finished off a good team goal.

From then on Dartmouth kept pressing and would have felt aggrieved to have come off at half time with only one goal.

Dartmouth made just one change at half time: Jamie Rendle made way for Ellie Langman, with Ellie going to the left wing and Mandy Servan to the right-hand side.

Jamie’s rest lasted for 10 ­minutes and Lucy Pillar came off to make way for Jamie.

Three minutes later Ellie Langman nearly got her first goal for Dartmouth – but for a touch on Ellie’s foot, she would have doubled Dartmouth’s score.

But s only had to wait another two minutes for her much-­anticipated goal when Jamie Rendle crossed the ball from the right wing. Alex Vincent went for the ball, which lifted up right on the end of Ellie’s stick and in to the opposition’s net, ensuring that Dartmouth were two goals to the good.

Newton Abbot got a consolation goal with eight minutes to go, but Dartmouth were not without more chances right to the end. Lucy Pillar, coming back on for Jamie Rendle again, went close, as did Lauren Rogers, Alex Vincent, Sarah Barrett and Mandy Servan.

Dartmouth are away this Saturday against Exe 4. They will be wanting to carry on their unbeaten record thus far, and helping them achieve this will be the returning Darcey Wall and Alisha Wadeson.

The match last week was sponsored by Adrian Langman. The last time these two teams met, Dartmouth won the encounter by three goals to one.

Dartmouth will surely try to emulate last season’s score.