Exmouth can start planning for the promotion play-offs after securing one for a place in National Two South next season with a 57-7 thrashing of Maidenhead.
The Cockles are now ten points ahead of third-placed Weston in National Three South West with only five points left to play for at home to Malvern this Saturday.
Exmouth's challenge now is to secure home advantage in the play-offs – and the odds on that look good.
The play-off opposition will be either Bishops Stortford or Dorking, who are locked in a fight to the finish in the mirror image London and South East National Three.
Exmouth already have more points than either of the teams they will face – all they have to do is keep it that way.
Two tries in the first 11 minutes – one each for Andrew Powell and Will Knill – pointed Exmouth in the right direction against Maidenhead.
By half-time Lloyd Morgan, Garry Hooper and Mike Williams had all crossed as well. Powell had two conversions in a 29-0 lead.
There were four more tries to follow; one each for Dave Kimberley, Matt Garner Dave Bargent and Bob Armstrong. Powell converted all four.
Barnstaple were ahead at half-time away to Old Patesians, but couldn't hold on to their 19-12 lead and lost 29-19.
Old Pats always had the edge up front – more so after Barum lost lock Matt Gohl to injury early on – and when the had the wind behind them in the second half turned pressure into points.
"The conditions weren't gruesome, but heavy enough to play into Pats' hands and not ours," said Barnstaple's director of rugby Kevin Squire.
"Games are won and lost up front and they were dominant in the set piece. We were pummelled at scrum time and only had one option in the line-out after losing Matt Gohl.
"Our backs were better than theirs, but without much ball didn't get too many chances to show it."
Rob Elliot, Toby Williamson and Winston James scored Barum's first-half tries. Will Topps converted two out of three.
Newton Abbot were 18-3 up against Brixham after 56 minutes when the game was abandoned due to worsening conditions at Rackerhayes. League bosses will have to decide whether a replay is necessary between two teams destined to finish in the top half of the table.
Taunton took a 68-0 thrashing away to National Two South leaders Worthing, but remain two places and five points clear of the drop zone.
