WINNERS ALL: Stoke Gabriel Reserves and Kingsteignton Athletic Reserves both ended up on the winning side this week. (c) MiraclePR
East Allington United continue to lead the WBW (Solicitors) SDFL Premier Division after a 4-0 home win over Newton Abbot ’66 in their first game for a month.
Any fears that the lack of action would have disrupted the momentum of the league’s leading goalscorer Finley Bullen were soon put to bed with the former Beesands player claiming a hat-trick. Dan Bowles also headed home for his fifth league goal of the season.
The win puts the Pirates three points clear of Torbay Police, who didn’t play. Ipplepen Athletic could have overtaken the Bees but instead found themselves on the receiving end of a battering by a Salcombe Town side who cruised to a second successive 8-0 victory. Ashley Yeoman put five past the Pens and is now just one goal behind Bullen in the league’s top goalscorers’ list. Additional goals from Charlie Barnes, Fred Massey and Kieran Stallard completed a flawless afternoon for the rampant Crabs.
Meadowbrook Athletic hold on to fourth place as they enjoyed a 4-2 win at Buckland Athletic Development. Owen Coldwell crossed for Tre Hansford to open the scoring for Bucks after just seven minutes. With 20 minutes gone, Brook got back on terms when former Buckland player Charlie Johansen won a one-on-one with the home ‘keeper. Anthony Goss then scored from the edge of the box on the brink of half-time to put Meadowbrook 2-1 up. Buckland nearly equalised early in the second half but three minutes after Bailey Clarke had missed a penalty, Johansen struck again to give the visitors a cushion. Clarke redeemed himself on the hour mark, poking home Matt Briant’s free-kick, but Meadowbrook’s James Thomas scored his side’s fourth, from a corner, with 13 minutes remaining to seal the points.
The reserve sides of Torbay Police and Ipplepen Athletic will compete in the Fred Hewings Cup final. Ipplepen sent Newton Abbot ’66 Reserves packing with an 8-0 thumping while the Police squeezed past Barton Athletic Reserves 4-3.
Broadmeadow STFC became the seventh team through to the quarter-finals of the George Belli Cup after a narrow 2-1 win at Buckfastleigh Rangers. Ben Beeson and Ben Wright netted for the visitors with Arren De Young on target for Rangers. Broadmeadow will face Brixham AFC Reserves in the last eight while Beesands Rovers and Plympton Athletic are due to compete for the last remaining quarter-final spot on Saturday.
Division One leaders Harbertonford failed to make the most of one of their games in hand on Saturday as they lost out 5-3 away at Kingskerswell and Chelston Reserves. A second half hat-trick from James Horrocks saw ‘Kerswell overcome a 2-1 deficit at the break. Their other goals came from Thomas Reeves and Joseph Wilkinson with Fords scoring through Dave Hatch, Mark Hancock and Sam Passmore.
The other two second tier games involved the bottom half of the table and produced 16 goals between them! Waldon Athletic Reserves scored four without reply against Buckfastleigh Rangers Reserves while Kingsteignton Athletic Reserves won 7-5 at Watcombe Wanderers Reserves. Aaron Paget was on fire with a double hat-trick for the Rams who also scored through William Kempsford. Cory Brennan managed a brace for the Greens with Tyler Fewings, Joseph Molloy and substitute Ben Clark also finding the net.
In the Dartmouth Cup, goals from Ryan Langley and Callum Whiteoak saw Stoke Gabriel Reserves through 2-1 against Abbotskerswell who scored through Thomas Corben. Dittisham United left their league woes behind them to dispatch visiting Riviera United 3-2.