JUST when Bideford manager Sean Joyce could see history repeating itself, up popped Ben Wood with a vital double.

Two opportunist strikes gave the Robins a 2-1 win over Bristol Manor Farm.

Joyce admitted that prior to the late rescue act from pint-sized predator Wood he was "thinking deja vu".

In February, Manor Farm returned from the Sports Ground with a 1-0 win after chasing the ball for most of the game.

A similar smash-and-grab raid looked on the cards after Dan Dunt took advantage of some generous defending to open the scoring.

Home players were still demanding a free-kick on the halfway line when Dunt nipped between Wood and Darren Hawkings to chip Ryan Draper.

That is the way it stayed until half-time and from Joyce's point of view it was a disappointing half all round.

"We created a lot of chances but didn't take them and then we gave a sloppy goal away," he said.

"It should have been a free-kick to us. Ellis stopped and Matty Andrew stopped, appealing for the free-kick when we should have played to the whistle.

"Manor Farm carried on and I thought Drapes should have dealt with it. He backed off, the kid chipped it over him and it trickled in."

Facing a 1-0 deficit at home is not a new problem for the Robins this term. They have previously conceded the first goal against Willand Rovers, Radstock Town, Bitton and Longwell Green Sports.

This time, however, Joyce was pleased his team didn't hit the panic button against defensive opponents.

"I think we have learned to be patient and play instead of just banging balls forward," he said.

As the rain started to lash down, nothing was happening for Biddy in the final third — until Wood was pushed forward from left wing-back.

Jamie Densham was replaced by Nick Barker and a switch to 4-3-3 saw Wood join Laight and Kevin Squire in attack.

"Woody's pace up front caused them no end of problems," said Joyce.

He may be small in stature but the Dorset-based player more than makes up for it with energy and enthusiasm.

After sprinting on to a loose ball he slotted the equaliser past Lee Ballard with 15 minutes to go.

Then, in almost identical circumstances three minutes later, Wood trickled a shot past the keeper for Bideford's fourth win in five games. They remain second in the Toolstation Premier Division, two points behind Ilfracombe Town in a fascinating North Devon rivalry.