TORBAY CLEARANCE SERVICES, SOUTH DEVON FOOTBALL LEAGUE. WEEKLY MATCH REPORTS 21st FEB, report by Alastair Muirden. Photo of Ilsington Villa contributed by SDFL
The game of the day went ahead at Lewthorne Cross between two teams with title hopes in mind, and it was Ilsington Villa who came out on top against a very good Windmill side by two goals to one, thanks to strikes from George Dixon and Jamie Beer.
The result opens up the division again, and seven of the teams are now within touching distance of the top two if they win their games in hand. Ilsington are one of the seven, and they move into seventh place with four games in hand. The current champions, Newton Abbot Spurs Reserves, continue to fire on all cylinders and a 6-nil win versus bottom of the table Totnes and Dartington puts them into fifth place with two games in hand to make up a seven point deficit. The Totnes team have had an awful first half of the season, and their only win, against Lakeside back in September, must seem a long time ago. Lakeside Athletic gave up home advantage to an improving Buckfastleigh Rangers to get their delayed Herald Cup game played, and the game went as planned for the Plymouth side who returned home with a place in the next round after a 6-2 victory. The other Herald Cup tie played was at Kingsteignton Athletic in front of a big crowd, and on treacle-like conditions, where the visitors were in form East Allington United. They came away with a 2-1 victory in a game that was short on quality mainly due to the conditions and, it has to be said, a lot of missed chances in front of goal. The game was nil-nil at the break, and within six minutes of the second half, East Allington had a two goal lead thanks to Rob Tapper and an unfortunate own goal. The Rams won a penalty in the 80th minute that was tucked away by Ashton Hogarth to give them some hope, but those missed chances continued to haunt them, and the visitors held out to meet Division Two side Ivybridge Town Reserves in the next round.
Barton Athletic stirred the pot in Division One by beating Bovey Tracey Reserves 6-2, and they are now just four points off the top spot and have two games in hand. Bovey stay in seventh place, eight points off the top and with four games in hand. In fact, there are now eight contenders for promotion in this division, and one of them is Elburton Villa Reserves who suffered another postponement and have only played six league games so far and still have 16 to play in the league and an interest in three cups. It is sure to be a busy end of season for them.
In Division Two, it was a weekend of double joy for East Allington United, as their reserves moved up a place to fourth following a 4-nil win at a squelchy Bakers Park which is not famous for surviving wet weather. Goals from Sam Quick, Rob Hutchings and a brace from Aiden Corcoran sealed the points for the Pirates who now only have seven games left to play!!! Another team with the same number of games left to play are Paignton Saints Seconds who beat Harbertonford in a seven goal thriller by the odd goal at Coach Road. Mykytya Chernetski found the net twice, and there were singles for Darren Millea and Mike Hernandez. The result puts Saints into the top half and only five points off of third place with a superior goal advantage.
Devon County Cup Action
Watts Blake Bearne travelled to Tiverton to take on Elmore Seconds in the quarter-final of the Senior Cup which, by the way, has been in the safe hands of a South Devon League club for the past two seasons, and they once again raised their game to beat the mid-Devon side by three goals to two. Strikes from Cam Gill, Fraser Hossack and Sam Stowell ensured a county cup semi-final for Wattsies to look forward too. In the same competition, favourites Mount Gould surprisingly lost at home to South Zeal United by four goals to three, and they can now concentrate on making up some of their games in hand in the league program. South Zeal are they only non-South Devon League club left in the competition and join Newton Abbot Spurs Thirds or Elburton Villa Reserves; Bovey Tracey Reserves and WBB in the semi final.
In the Intermediate Cup, the unthinkable happened when favourites Kingskerswell were beaten by three goals to one at Bampton to leave South Brent as the only South Devon League club with an interest in this competition. They play Alphington Thirds on 28th February at Palstone Park, 2pm KO.
Games to catch on Saturday 28th February
There are some intriguing games this week, and none less than a moorland cup derby at Division One Bovey Tracey Reserves where the visitors are Premier Division Ilsington Villa who will be looking to keep a cup run going. In the top division, Windmill will be hoping to get back to winning ways when Newton Abbot ’66 pay a visit to Millennium Fields, and at the bottom of the division, there is a six-pointer at Broadpark where Kingsteignton Athletic host Buckfastleigh Rangers in a don’t lose game. Two of the top division’s challengers, Newton Abbot Spurs Reserves and Chudleigh Athletic face each other in what should be a great game at the Rec. The top game in Division One is at Abbrook Park where its second versus third; WBB host Paignton Villa, and with both teams level on points, it should be a cracker of a game. Division Two offers what could be two fantastic games to watch, weather permitting: Ashburton welcome top of the table Signal Box Oak Villa to Chuley Road for the first time, and Drake FC host a Babbacombe Corries side looking to get back to winning ways again. In Division Four, Bere Alston United Reserves, in fourth place, host Teign Village in second in a game that will no doubt affect the top three places at the referee’s final whistle.
Enjoy your grassroots football. Spring is just around the corner.