Category: Fred Hewings Cup

newton abbot spurs reserves

Cup glory for Spurs Thirds!

TORBAY CLEARANCE SERVICES, SOUTH DEVON FOOTBALL LEAGUE. WEEKLY MATCH REPORTS 11th APR, report by Alastair Muirden. Photo of Newton Abbot Spurs Reserves contributed by SDFL

Newton Abbot Spurs Thirds may have been the highest-ranked team to qualify for the Fred Hewings Cup, but Newton Abbot ’66 Seconds not only contributed to a great final, they took the eventual winners all the way to a penalty shootout on Friday night at Buckfastleigh.

The scoreline after 90 minutes was 2-2, with Frank Orynik and Rhys Fewings finding the net for Spurs after Jono Ellis and Russ Ellis had given Sixes the lead. With no further goals in extra-time, the neutral supporters were going to to be the only people who were looking forward to a penalty shootout, and Spurs were more clinical with the kicks, winning 3-1 and being able to have an evening of celebration to offset their league season.

Saturday’s games were full of shocks and bruises, so let’s start with the bruises; in the Premier Division’s knockout Belli Cup, the Plymouth derby between True Blues and Lakeside Athletic lived up to the pre-match billing with True Blues needing to find true grit to come back from three-nil down at the break to force extra-time and then take the tie in a dramatic penalty shootout, where they scored all five spot kicks; Bayley Williams, Ashley White and George Davey were the second half scoring heroes for the Blues, who finished the game with ten players. Lakeside still have another cup semi-final to look forward to next week and will be hoping for better fortune against WBB.

The other Belli Cup game went with the form book when Windmill booked a place in their divisional semi-final for the second consecutive season, with a  3-1 victory over a much-improved Buckfastleigh Rangers side; all the goals came courtesy of Brodie Simpson, who is certainly having a great season when it comes to finding the net.

In the Division One Dartmouth Cup, Elburton Villa Reserves had a bruising home win versus Watcombe Wanderers by five goals to three to add yet another fixture to their gruelling April and May game program, where they are going to have to arrange to play three times each week to avoid not finishing their fixtures. Bovey Tracey Reserves, another team with a lot of league games to play, also had a good result against a Liverton United side that was made up of reserve team players due to non-availability; Bovey ran out 5-2 winners with strikes from Ben Moyle, Ollie Bourne, Owen Caldwell and Rory Wolfe.

Babbacombe Corries progressed in the Division Two knockout with a 4-1 win against Harbertonford thanks to Kieron Sweet, Joshua Hills, Jordan Bradshaw and Jack Cousins.

The Division Three Ronald Cup game between the two runaway leaders went the way of Kingskerswell by one goal to nil. The game would have been every neutral’s wish for the final, and Galmpton United certainly made the home team work for the victory in a game that was a credit to this level of football.

The Division Four cup had just one game, and Barton Athletic Seconds, who have had a great season, came very close to a cup upset versus the league leaders Chudleigh Athletic Seconds; in a very entertaining game at Barton Downs, the game ended 2-2 after full and extra-time, and it was the visitors who were more composed in front of goal, winning the shootout 3-1.

In the Torbay Clearance Services Premier Division, Ilsington Villa’s title hopes were dented in a one-nil defeat to East Allington United in a fantastic game of football that brought out the best in the Pirates and in Finn Bullen, who remains one of the top strikers in the competition. Chudleigh Athletic and Newton Abbot ’66 shared the points in a 1-1 draw in a game that both teams could have felt more comfortable with all three points, but sometimes, you need to keep a full complement of players on the pitch to do that; it was reported to have been a stop-start, messy affair which saw three sin bins. Totnes and Dartington will be no doubt glad to see the back of this season and press the reset button after this week’s 9-1 loss at the hands of Newton Abbot Spurs Reserves (pictured). The Tots have struggled all season to put two sides out, which is such a shame for the Belli Cup holders with a great club ethic to be struggling to attract young players at this time. Spurs are still in with a chance of a top three finish. Paignton Saints remain in a positive mood, and a 2-1 win at Kingsteignton Athletic heaps more worries of a season end relegation battle for the Rams, which would have been unthinkable in any other season.

In Division One, Watts Blake Bearne continue to plough through whoever is put in front of them, and a 10-2 demolition of Brixham Town will have a different effect on both teams. Ashton Sowerby was a hat-trick hero for the Claymen, and after a great first half of the season, the Fishermen find themselves struggling to put out two teams each week as players seem to find other activities on a Saturday. That seems to be the way it is at the moment. Mount Gould are also one of the teams to beat in this division, and Paignton Villa came close. The final score was one-nil to the Plymouth-based team thanks to a single strike from Jake McLean that takes them a step closer to another promotion. At the other end of the table, Buckland Athletic Reserves continue to improve, and another three points this time, versus Beesands Rovers, by three goals to one, will give the young Bucks every hope of staying in Division One.

In Division Two, Signal Box Oak Villa moved three points closer to the league title with a comprehensive five-nil win at Bakers Park against Newton Rovers, and Ipplepen Athletic Reserves produced a shock result in beating Kingsteignton Athletic Seconds by three goals to nil. The Pens will be glad to get some more points on the board, but they remain one of five teams that could go down a division. Paignton Villa Seconds and Drake shared a 1-1 draw in a game that was played without a referee, and both remain contenders for a top three spot (full report on Daves World), and Paignton Saints Seconds put a dent in the hopes of Ashburton with a 4-3 victory in a tough game for all.

Finally, congratulations to Kingsbridge and Kellaton United in Division Four, as they picked up another three points in a three-nil home win versus Broadhempston United to put them in contention for a mid-table season, which would be a welcome break from the recent seasons of struggle for the family-run club. Well done to Tina and Andy, and thank you for what you do for South Devon football.

Game to catch this week:

Herald Cup semi-final, kindly sponsored by Torbay Clearance Services: Friday 17th April at Buckland Athletic FC with a 7pm kick off. Can WBB, from Division One, cause a cup shock when they face a Lakeside Athletic side bruised from a Belli Cup defeat in what should be a great advert for South Devon League football. There is plenty of parking, and a full bar and food service will be provided by the host club.

Enjoy your grassroots football.

the windmill dartmouth cup winners 2025

Midweek Premier results from the competition that keeps on giving

TORBAY CLEARANCE SERVICES, SOUTH DEVON FOOTBALL LEAGUE. WEEKLY MATCH REPORTS 5th APR, report by Alastair Muirden. Photo of The Windmill contributed by SDFL

The much awaited meeting between two of the division’s title contenders did not disappoint, and in yet another game in the Torbay Clearance Services league that could well have been played at a higher level, Lakeside Athletic and Ilsington Villa eventually shared the points in a 3-3 thriller and hand a slight advantage to Windmill who continue to lead the division.

At the other end of the division, the relegation places are far from decided as Buckfastleigh Rangers continue their rich vain of form with a 4-1 win over fourth placed East Allington United at Poole Lane. In Division One, Bovey Tracey Reserves had a big midweek win at home to Brixham Town, by ten goals to nil, and effectively remove the Fishermen from the promotion race.

Last week, I wrote about the joy and pain experienced in playing in the Herald Cup, and that continued into this weekend as WBB had the joy and Chudleigh Athletic had to suffer the pain in the delayed quarter-final. The game ended 4-4 after 90 minutes, and with neither side able to conjure up a winner in extra-time, the dreaded penalty shoot-out went in favour of the Claymen, who scored four times to knock out their Premier Division opponents and progress to the semi-final where Lakeside Athletic lay in wait; the dates for the semis remain to be confirmed as the abandoned Paignton Saints v East Allington Unitted tie has still to be played.

In the Premier Division, Windmill (pictured) continue to lead the pack, and a fine 4-1 victory over Paignton Saints, courtesy of a Brodie Simpson hat-trick, keeps the Plymouth-based team as the team to beat and leaves Saints’ season hinging on that Herald Cup game.

Lakeside Athletic will be glad to see the back of Totnes and Dartington after their latest battle ended in a 2-2 draw; the Tots have taken four points from Athletic this season and dented their title hopes while, of course, picking up a valuable point in their own hopes for survival. Plymouth True Blues got back to winning ways with a comprehensive 5-1 win at Newton Abbot ’66. Five different players got on the scoresheet, and True Blues remain on course for a top three place. Ilsington Villa continue to plug away at the points shortfall between themselves and the top three, and enjoyed a hard-fought 3-2 win against Kingsteignton Athletic, where the referee had a busy afternoon, but goals from Dan Langford, George Dixon and Jamie Soper keeps the Moorlanders chasing a league and cup double.

In the Division One cup, Barton Athletic slipped up in a 3-1 loss at Watcombe Wanderers; goals from club stalwart Sean Finch, Ollie Dowell and James Smith ensured that the Greens go into the semi-final to save their season. Paignton Villa also bowed out of the Dartmouth Cup at the hands of Elburton Villa Reserves, who are also chasing a league and cup double.  Mount Gould continue to put pressure on the top three, and a good 4-1 victory at Beesands Rovers probably puts the Bees out of the promotion race as they are running out of games to play. Bentley Alcantara, Ray Spear and Billy Eccles won the points for the Mounties. Brixham Town finally won a game after a torrid run of form since the turn of the year. A 2-1 victory at Buckland Athletic Reserves will give the Fishermen some hope of a strong run in to the end of May.

In Division Two, Signal Box Oak Villa are just nine points away from claiming the divisional title following a hard-earned victory at East Allington United Seconds with a 4-2 scoreline. Jordan Richards was a hat-trick hero, not for the first time this season, and there was a single strike from Ryan Willis. Drake FC and Ashburton fought out a 2-2 draw at Manadon, a result that neither of these two promotion contenders would have wanted. Kameron Pouladge was the man of the match for Ashes with both goals. Ivybridge Town Reserves and Paignton Villa Seconds also shared the points in a 1-1 stalemate and remain just outside the top three. In the divisional cup, Babbacombe Corries progressed at the hands of Paignton Saints Reserves with a one-nil scoreline thanks to Kieron Sweet.

In the Division Three and Four cups, Kingskerswell, Harbertonford, Newton Abbot ’66 Reserves, Ipplepen Athletic Seconds, Galmpton United and Bere Alston Reserves all made it through in their respective divisional cups.

Game to catch this week:

As we enter cup final season, the opener is the Fred Hewings final which serves up a Newton Abbot derby game between Spurs Thirds and ’66 Seconds at Buckfastleigh Rangers on Friday evening with a 7pm kick off. Spurs are the highest ranked team in the knockout competition for reserve teams, but they have not had the best of seasons in Division One, currently sitting at the foot of the table; ’66 have had a decent season in Division Three and currently sit just in fifth place but are typical of any side from ’66 and that is that they are difficult to beat; although there are two divisions between the teams, depending on how the divisions finish, this game could in fact be a league fixture next season. There is plenty of parking, and a full bar and food service will be available.

Enjoy your grassroots cup finals.

Midweek magic for Buckland Athletic at the Rec

TORBAY CLEARANCE SERVICES, SOUTH DEVON FOOTBALL LEAGUE. WEEKLY MATCH REPORTS 14th MAR, report by Alastair Muirden.

The Yellows picked up a much needed three points when they made the short trip across town on Wednesday evening.

Goals from Keiron Fletcher, Patrick Marsh and Hugh Stronge won the game, and the bottom of the division is just as close as the top, as it looks to be any two from four for the drop, and the rest of the teams would seem to be promotion contenders.

In fact, Buckland Athletic Reserves carried their mid-week form into the weekend, picking up another three points with a 2-1 win over fellow relegation candidates Watcombe Wanderers in a tetchy affair that moves the Yellows out of the bottom two for the first time in 2026. Liverton United are the team that replace them in the bottom two, and they suffered another big scoreline when they faced Beesands Rovers who put 12 goals past them without reply. The South Hams outfit remain top on goal difference but have played three games more than the other contenders. WBB continue to impress, and a 3-1 win at Elburton Villa Reserves is a good result in anybody’s book and keeps the Claymen well-placed and one of the teams the others need to beat. Jake Cuff, Ryan Clarke and Ashton Sowerby were the target men for Wattsies. The clash between the two pre-season favourites in Mount Gould and Bovey Tracey Reserves ended in a 1-1 draw. The result leaves Bovey with some work to do to catch Wattsies, but Mount Gould are still in with a shout if they turn the games in hand into points. Barton Athletic are also in a bit of form at the moment, and a very tight one-nil result at Paignton Villa allows the Blues to leapfrog Villa into third place and just two points off the leaders (full report on Daves World), and why anybody would want to pay to watch pro football when this standard is available week in, week out, free of charge, is beyond me. Well done to both teams.

If you thought Division One was close, then the Premier Division is a competition that keeps on giving. Both of the bottom two picked up points in the fight for survival. Totnes and Dartington had a credible 1-1 draw with Paignton Saints, and Buckfastleigh Rangers won two-nil at Newton Abbot ’66 after going one up within two minutes thanks to Harrison Russell; they were reduced to ten players on nine minutes when the goalkeeper was sent off for deliberate handball outside the penalty area. The visitors had to dig in at times, and the second goal came late in the game; just after ’66 missed a golden opportunity to level things up, the Greens broke away and Denver Ongeche sealed the points and closed the gap to four points. At the other end of the table, it was business as usual for the league leaders as Windmill cruised to a 6-2 victory over last season’s champions Newton Abbot Spurs Seconds, who now need the Plymouth three to lose twice if they are going to retain the title. One team that has broken the dominance of the Plymouth three are East Allington United. They had a great result with a 2-1 win at True Blues, and by all accounts, both teams were a credit to the SDFL. Ben Tapper and none other than Seth Gloyn were on target for the Pirates. The final Premier Division game between Lakeside and Kingsteignton Athletic was abandoned, due to the worsening state of the pitch, and will be replayed.

Only two league games were played in Division Two, and the basement battle between Upton Athletic and Newton Rovers ended in a 1-1 draw that really does not help either of the teams in the quest for survival at this level as the bottom team Watcombe Wanderers Seconds have given the league a notice of withdrawal, and that will cause some points to be adjusted. Ashburton got back to winning ways with a two-nil win at Ivybridge Town Reserves, and although they are down in seventh place, the games in hand could put them in the top three.

In Division Three, Kingskerswell kept their 100 per cent record intact with a four-nil win over a decent Liverton United Second team, and they are now the only unbeaten team in all the divisions. The bottom two sides, Totnes and Dartington Seconds and Waldon Athletic Seconds, shared a 2-2 draw that neither of these teams wanted, as bottom club Ipplepen Athletic Reserves leapfrogged both of them with a 3-1 win at Buckfastleigh Rangers Seconds to record only their second win of the season.

In Division Four, Chudleigh Athletic Seconds are motoring away at the top. This week, it was courtesy of an eight-nil win at home to Newton Rovers Seconds. Teign Village are right on their tails, as they became the first team to inflict a league defeat on Waldon Athletic Thirds. I am told it was not pretty to watch, but the village side were good for their 3-2 victory. Third-placed Paignton Villa Thirds slipped to their heaviest defeat of the season, losing 10-1 to an improving Barton Athletic Second team that wiped out Villa’s positive goal difference in one swoop. Bere Alston United Reserves are also keeping pace with the leaders, and a 6-4 victory over Kingsbridge and Kellaton United, in an entertaining game, keeps their hopes of a promotion alive in the first season in the SDFL. Brixham Town Seconds are also in the mix, and a five-nil win over Paignton Saints Thirds keeps the Fishermen in fifth place with games in hand.

There were some delayed cup ties that were played, and a big well done to South Brent who beat Alphington Thirds by two goals to one to make it into the semi-final of the county Intermediate Cup where they travel to Axminster on 28th March to take on Millwey Rise for a place in the final.

Galmpton United won eight-nil against Broadhempston United to be in the hat for the quarter-final of the Herald Cup, as did Chudleigh Athletic, who had a comfortable afternoon scoring 12 versus Harbertonford in the same competition.

In the Fred Hewings Cup, Newton Abbot Spurs Thirds made it into the semi final with a 3-1 win at East Allington United Seconds to join Newton Abbot ’66 Seconds, Kingsteignton Athletic Seconds and Barton Athletic Seconds in the hat.

Games to catch on Saturday 21st March

In the Premier Division, there is a six-pointer at Totnes and Dartington who host Buckfastleigh Rangers in a game that – should the visitors win – would leave Tots with a lot to do and move Bucky to within a point of Kingsteignton Athletic. Lakeside Athletic will be looking to avenge an early season defeat by Newton Abbot ’66 when Sixes visit the Parkway Social Club, and in years gone bye, Kingsteignton Athletic v Ilsington Villa was a game between two sides in the top three but is now a game between a team in seventh and tenth and both needing points for different reasons.

But my game of the day is the much awaited Division Three fixture between Kingskerswell and Galmpton United at the Kerswell Bowl which has a 2.30 kick-off. A home win should secure another divisional title for ‘Kerswell, but a win for the visitors not only removes the last unbeaten record in the league but would put them six points clear of their rivals.

Enjoy your free grassroots football, and thank you for supporting the TCS South Devon Football League.

the windmill dartmouth cup winners 2025

17 games finally beat the weather with 11 going ahead on grass!

TORBAY CLEARANCE SERVICES, SOUTH DEVON FOOTBALL LEAGUE. WEEKLY MATCH REPORTS 14th FEB, report by Alastair Muirden. Photo of The Windmill contributed by SDFL

Only one Premier Division league game went ahead, and it was at Poole Lane where East Allington United moved into third place to disrupt the Plymouth dominance with a hard fought 4-2 win over fellow title contenders Newton Abbot ’66.

Ben Tapper scored a brace, there was an unfortunate own goal, and a special mention to Finn Bullen who also got on the scoresheet to notch up his 147th goal in his 150th appearance. The result was not a disaster for Sixes, as they remain within touching distance of second place if they win their five games in hand.

Two league games were played in Division One, with Brixham Town returning to pole position with a payback win against Beesands Rovers by four goals to one, and with just two points separating the top four teams, this, like other divisions, will go to the wire. Mount Gould also got a game played, and a 3-nil win versus bottom club Buckland Athletic Rerserves sees them into fifth place with four games in hand; Bentley Alcantara was a hat-trick hero, and the home team were full of praise for the way the visitors approached the game and stated that Buckland were one of the better teams they have played this season, and they could do with a win to give them some confidence for what’s left of the season.

In Division Two, every team bar Watcombe Wanderers played a game, and in the league, the top two fixture turned out to be a one-sided affair, with Signal Box Oak Villa running rampant against Babbacombe Corries with a 7-1 win to move ten points clear at the top. On target for Villa were Joseph Haslem and Jake Cribb (two apiece), with singles from Bobby Stone, Coy Breirley and Keiron Roberts. Corries remain in second with a game in hand and will be hoping that Ashburton, in eighth place, can use their five games in hand to inflict a defeat on the leaders to open it up again. Drake FC got back to winning ways with a close 2-nil win over Paignton Villa Seconds and remain as contenders with two games in hand and just seven points from Corries. Ivybridge Town Reserves hold on to third place, thanks to a bruising 8-nil win over Newton Rovers at Erme Valley, and are two points behind Corries having played two more games. Paignton Saints Reserves had a good result on the day. A 4-1 win at Coach Road versus East Allington United Reserves moves Saints into the bottom of a mid-table group of teams that can beat any team on their day, and I am sure there are more rollercoaster results to come in this division.

In Division Three, just two league games went ahead, and perennial underachievers Stoke Gabriel TP Reserves moved away from the bottom three with a comfortable 6-nil win versus Buckfastleigh Rangers Seconds. The result leaves Stoke with five games in hand and within touching distance of second place if they can win them. Rangers remain in seventh place in a division that seems to be split in two halves. Kingsteignton Athletic Reserves moved into fourth place with a 3-nil win over bottom team Waldon Athletic Reserves. Goals from squad players Tom Reeves, Kelsey Leach and Ashley Hayworth keeps the Rams in contention in a division where somebody needs to beat the two runaway leaders to open it up.

At the top of Division Four, Chudleigh Athletic Seconds extended their lead to six points as a result of beating Broadhempston United by eight goals to one. They were also assisted by Paignton Villa Thirds who beat Teign Village by two goals to one, in a scrappy affair, and move within one point of Village into third place. Another contender at the moment are Bere Alston Reserves who had a walkover as Paignton Saints Thirds could not raise a team for the fixture; that leaves Alston just two points from Village, but Brixham Town Seconds, Barton Athletic Seconds and Waldon Athletic Thirds, who are still unbeaten, all have games in hand to have a final say in where this division’s honours will end up.

There were seven cup ties that either survived the rain or were played on an artificial pitch, and they all went with the form book.

In the Torbay Clearance Services-sponsored Herald Cup, the biggest scoreline of the day belonged to Ipplepen Athletic Seconds who put 13 goals past Upton Athletic and end this season’s cup hopes for the Torquay side, and Elburton Villa Reserves saw off the challenge from Harbertonford by six goals to nil in a game that was played at Plymstock School. There were two other fixtures that paired teams from different divisions, and Galmpton United (Division Three) gave Windmill (Premier, pictured) a real fright, but the Plymouth-based team got over the line with a 3-2 victory and a reason to celebrate their place in the quarter-final. WBB (Division One) switched their tie against Ashburton (Division Two) to the Ashmoor 3g at South Dartmoor School, and they needed an 85th minute penalty to seal the game. Ashes gave up a 2-nil lead, but a second-half hat-trick from substitute Jake Cuff sees the Claymen into their second cup quarter-final this season.

The Fred Hewings Cup is also at the quarter-final stage, and the highest-ranked reserve team left in the competition, Newton Abbot Spurs Thirds, are safely through with a 5-nil win over Brixham Town Seconds thanks to goals from Zak Carnell, Oliver Bellotti, Nik Garrett and Frank Oyrnik. Joining them are Totnes and Dartington Seconds who enjoyed a 5-nil win over Newton Rovers Seconds. There was a hat-trick for Owen Osman, with singles from Jake Osman and Jordan Baxter. The teams won’t have long to wait for the quarter-finals, as they are fixtured for 21st February.

Games to catch on Saturday 21st February:

Match of the day is at Lewthorne Cross, where Ilsington Villa will be looking to close the gap on visitors Windmill in what should be a great advert for the league. Elsewhere, Chudleigh Athletic face Newton Abbot ’66 who will be looking to get back to winning ways, and in the Herald Cup, Kingsteignton Athletic and East Allington United will have some deja vu when they meet at 2pm. There will also be more of that at Long Lane, when Babbacombe Corries meet Signal Box for the second week running and will be looking to put up a better show than last week. In Division Four, Bere Alston United host Chudleigh Athletic Seconds, and Teign Village face Brixham Town Seconds in what should be two great games.

Finally, the SDFL have a number of teams looking to progress in county cups, and all are at the quarter-final stage. WBB travel to Tiverton to play Elmore Seconds, Mount Gould face South Zeal, and in the same competition, Elburton Villa travel to Newton Abbot Spurs Thirds in an all-SDFL tie. In the Intermediate Cup, Kingskerswell travel up the North Devon link road to face Bampton, and in the same cup, South Brent welcome Alphington Thirds to Palstone Park. Good luck to all of the SDFL teams in the county cups.

League games start at 2.30pm. Cup games start at 2pm.

Enjoy your grassroots football!

kyle doughty waldon athletic herald cup final 2025

South Devon Football League Cup Draws 25/26

Photo from 2024/25 Herald Cup contributed by SDFL

Herald Cup, sponsored by Torbay Clearance Services, Round Three

WBB v Ashburton

Galmpton Utd v Windmill FC

Elburton Villa Reserves or Harbertonford v Chudleigh Athletic

Paignton Saints v Newton Abbot Spurs Seconds

Lakeside Athletic v Buckfastleigh Rangers

Plymouth True Blues v Ipplepen Athletic Seconds or Upton Athletic

Bovey Tracey Reserves v Ilsington Villa

Ivybridge Town Reserves v Kingsteignton Athletic

Games will be fixtured to be played 7th February depending on ground availability.

Fred Hewings Cup, Quarter Finals

Newton Abbot ’66 Seconds v Watcombe Wanderers Seconds

Barton Athletic Seconds v Liverton United Seconds

Newton Rovers Seconds or Totnes and Dartington Seconds v Kingsteignton Athletic Seconds

East Allington Utd Seconds v Brixham Town Seconds or Newton Abbot Spurs Thirds

Games will be fixtured to be played 7th February depending on ground availability.

George Belli Cup. Premier Division

Windmill FC v Chudleigh Athletic

East Allington Utd v Ilsington Villa

Plymouth True Blues v Kingsteignton Athletic

Lakeside Athletic v Totnes and Dartington

Byes: Buckfastleigh Rangers, Newton Abbot ’66, Newton Abbot Spurs Seconds, Paignton Saints

Games will be played 14th February depending on ground availability.

Dartmouth Cup. Division One

Newton Abbot Spurs Thirds v Bovey Tracey Reserves

Watcombe Wanderers v Mount Gould

Brixham Town v WBB

Buckland Athletic Reserves v Paignton Villa

Byes: Barton Athletic, Beesands Rovers, Elburton Villa Reserves, Liverton Utd.

Games will be played 14th February depending on ground availability.

Lidstone Cup. Division Two

Paignton Saints Seconds v Signal Box Oak Villa

Newton Rovers v Harbertonford

Paignton Villa Seconds v Ivybridge Town Reserves

East Allington Utd Seconds v Ashburton

Byes: Babbacombe Corries, Drake FC, Upton Athletic, Watcombe Wanderers Seconds

Games will be played 14th February depending on ground availability.

Ronald Cup. Division Three

Kingskerswell v Totnes and Dartington Seconds

Stoke Gabriel TP Reserves v Kingsteignton Athletic Seconds

Newton Abbot ’66 Seconds v South Brent

Byes: Buckfastleigh Rangers Seconds, Galmpton Utd, Ipplepen Athletic Reserves, Liverton Utd Seconds, Waldon Athletic Seconds

Games will be played on 14th February depending on ground availability.

Les Bishop Cup. Division Four

Kingsbridge and Kellaton Utd v Broadhempston Utd

Waldon Athletic Thirds v Newton Rovers Seconds

Bere Alston Utd v Brixham Town Seconds

Byes: Barton Athletic Seconds, Chudleigh Athletic Seconds, Paignton Saits Thirds, Paignton Villa Thirds, Teign Village

Games will be played 14th February depending on ground availability.

liverton united south devon football league division two

Caldwell and Dixon strike as Villa return to the top

TORBAY CLEARANCE SERVICES, SOUTH DEVON FOOTBALL LEAGUE. WEEKLY MATCH REPORTS 18th JANUARY, report by Alastair Muirden. Photo of fourth placed Liverton United (Div 2), who hit the net five times to overcome Upton Athletic at Armada Park, contributed by SDFL

Golden Boot Update: Top few in each division for league goals. Up to 17th January.

Premier: Callum Foskett (Newton Abbot ’66) and Jack Langford (Ilsington Villa), both 8.

Joe Clarke Farley (Newton ’66), Jamie Micklewright and Aiden Blackie (Newton Spurs), Dan Rankin (Kingsteignton) and Steve Sutton (Buckfastleigh), all 7.

Division 1: Luis Green (Newton Abbot Spurs Third) leads the field with 12 goals from 11 games.

Brodie Simpson (Windmill) and Lee Phillips (Plymouth True Blues), both 8.

David Moore (Plymouth Phoenix), Sam Pyne (Watcombe) and Ben Moyle (Bovey), all on 7 goals.

Division 2: Oakley Hunt (Barton Ath) is in front with 14 goals, but right on his tail are Joe Jasper (Mount Gould), 13 and Simon Ross (Watcombe Res), 12

Jamie Passmore (Liverton), Alex Narvidge (Paignton Villa Res) and Liam Walton (Barton), all on 11.

Division 3: Lucas Phillips (Elburton Villa Third) leads the way with 16 goals.

Adam Blackburn (Stoke Gabriel & TP Res), Callum Thomas (Drake FC) and Jono Ellis (Newton Abbot 66′ Res), all on 13. Ashley Walker (Drake FC) 12, and four players on 11 goals.

Division 4: Joshua Clarke (Kingskerswell) can make a space for the divisional trophy as he is on 30 goals from 12 games. Chris Bennett (Templer Way) 19, Alex Harding (Kingskerswell) 14 and Tom Beer (Teign Village), 12.

In the Torbay Clearance Services Premier Division, Ilsington Villa returned to the top with a 2-nil home win against relegation threatened Chudleigh Athletic; Myles Caldwell and Jack Dixon were on target for the Villa who were no doubt assisted in their return to pole position by Kingsteignton Athletics’ 4 – 1 home win versus Newton Abbot ’66; goals from Luke Manuell (2), Callum Leach and Ryan Tovagliari have brought Sixes back down to earth after their great result last week. Kingsteignton, on the other hand, are in fourth place, just 4 points behind ’66, and are now the highest scorers in the division. Buckfastleigh Rangers are also in the same boat as the Rams but with a game in hand; they had a comfortable 4 – 1 win against Beesands Rovers who were close to not putting out a team as a result of a norovirus outbreak in the Kingsbridge area; Steve Sutton added to his goal tally for Rangers who make up the top five; Newton Abbot Spurs remain in sixth place with three games in hand and with a big squad to pick from, will be challenging come May; a tough 4 – 2 win at Elburton Villa Reserves, who themselves are improving without getting the wins, was enough to bring the points up the A38. Waldon Athletic’s woes continue: a 2-2 stalemate against East Allington Utd, who twice held the lead through Finlay Bullen and Ben Tapper, have put yet another dent in the ambitions of the Torquay based team and moves the Pirates 8 points clear of the bottom three.

Division One is still very tight for the top four, and True Blues and Phoenix remain unbeaten. True Blues had an impressive 8-nil win at relegation threatened Ivybridge Town Reserves, and with seven players getting on the scoresheet, just proves they have talent all over the team and could well be playing Premier League football next season. Phoenix had a trip to the seaside to visit Paignton Villa and came away with a 5-nil win to keep them very much favourites for this division; Villa remain one of six teams in mid table and separated by 6 points and games in hand over each other. Bovey were on cup business which gave Windmill the opportunity to close the gap in a tricky game at Brixham Town; a Brodie Simpson hat-trick and singles from Louis Godwin and Myles Hunt completed a 5-nil victory at JC Park to keep up the pressure on their Plymouth neighbours. Also, a word of congratulations to Shaun Langdon and his band of volunteers who have turned a horse compound and stable into a very good football pitch with pitch-side parking which is a fantastic facility for the community, so well done to all at Brixham Town. In the two other midtable fixtures in Division One, Buckland Athletic Reserves won 2-nil at Newton Abbot Spurs Thirds and Watcombe beat WBB 3-nil with goals from Laurence Macloud, Jack White and Zac Steele.

In Division Two, the top two, Barton Athletic and Mount Gould, were on cup duty which gave the chasing pack of four a chance to close the gap, and East Allington United Seconds, Liverton United and Paignton Villa Seconds duly obliged. East Allington were the big scorers of the day with an 11-nil thumping of bottom club Ipplepen Athletic Reserves, and Paignton Villa had a very impressive 5 – 1 win at White Rock versus Watcombe Wanderers Seconds. Liverton United also hit the net five times to overcome Upton Athletic at Armada Park. Babbacombe Corries could not find the points that would have put them into second place at Harbertonford where they lost 1-nil to a Luke Collens strike that moves Fords up four places and well away from the relegation battle that they have endured in recent seasons.

The big game in Division Three went the way of Elburton Villa Thirds; a 3-nil win over Stoke Gabriel TP Reserves closes the gap to just one point between 3rd and 4th place. Second-placed Drake FC also dropped points at improving Newton Abbot ’66 Seconds; the Plymouth team had to settle for a 1 – 1 draw and finish the game with ten players at Osborne Park. Kingsteignton Athletic Seconds also remain well-placed for a challenge; a 3-nil win at South Brent, thanks to goals from Ashton Hogarth and a double from Harry Bannister, keeps the young Rams in 5th place, 4 points off 2nd with a game in hand. South Brent remain in the bottom three but have 3 games in hand on the teams above them and just need to find a win.

As expected in Division Four, Kingskerswell move further clear at the top and as the only team in all the divisions with a 100% league record, this weeks 7-nil win over Kingsbridge and Kellaton, with a hat-trick from the league’s top striker Joshua Clarke, and his brother Oliver, with Shane Shobbrook rolling back the years with a single goal, the rumour is that Shobby went over the halfway line and got a nose bleed, so he had to go back; also noted that a certain Owen Stockton could only make the bench for this successful team. Templer Way remain in 2nd place but 8 points behind the leaders with a 4 – 3 home win in an ill-tempered game against Waldon Athletic Thirds; Chris Bennett scored a hat trick and Nick Osbourne was also on target for Templer in a game that produced 7 yellows and 2 reds and lots of paperwork for the referee and lots of fines and suspensions for the players. Teign Village make up the top three with a 3 – 2 win over Paignton Villa Thirds, and Chudleigh Athletic Seconds are 4th, just a tad off the pace thanks to a 3 – 1 home win versus bottom team Barton Athletic Seconds.

There were two delayed cup games played this week. In the Herald Cup, Bovey Tracey Reserves, from Division One, dispatched Barton Athletic, from Division Two, by 3 goals to 1; Alister Chuchuk, John Agpoon and Ben Goble scored the goals in front of a decent crowd that put Bovey in the hat for the next round. Ashburton are also still in the cup following their trip to Mount Gould in Plymouth; the game was level at 2 – 2 and with no extra time goals or replays, the dreaded penalty shootout was on, and it was the Ashes who held their nerve by scoring 4 of the spot kicks when Mount Gould missed 2. The full draw for the next round will be published in next week’s edition and will be available on the full-time website.

Games to catch on Saturday 25th January in the Torbay Clearance Services League:

There is a cache of great games this week to watch. Take your pick from: Liverton Utd Seconds v Kingsteignton Athletic Seconds in the quarter finals of the Fred Hewings Cup; Bovey Tracey Reserves v The Windmill, 3rd v 4th in Div 1; Chudleigh Athletic Seconds v Kingskerswell, 4th v 1st in Div 4; Kingsteignton Athletic v Newton Spurs Reserves, a classic Premier game; Stoke Gabriel TP Reserves v Ashburton, 3rd v 1st in Div 3; Watcombe Wanderers v Buckland Athletic, a good old derby; but my game of the day has to be up on the moor where top of the Premier Ilsington Villa take on Waldon Athletic at 2.30pm.

Enjoy your grassroots football.

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Saints Clinch Fred Hewings Cup as Watcombe Draw a Blank

Report and photos contributed by SDFL

At last, spring finally kicked off and allowed most South Devon League footballers to get back to some normal Saturday afternoon activity even if the going was still good to soft on Grand National day. The first cup final of the season went ahead courtesy of the hard working ground staff at Buckfastleigh Rangers where Watcombe Wanderers Reserves took on Paignton Saints Reserves for the Fred Hewings Cup; this is the knockout competition which is restricted to all reserve teams in the league and this year’s competition was kindly sponsored by Combined Roofing Services.

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Watcombe’s top scorer Simon Ross couldn’t find the target.

The game could have gone either way as both teams had chances that were not taken; it was end to end play and at times a bit frantic; the referee had a busy evening, issuing 6 yellow cards for mis-timed challenges, and the game had extra-time written all over it; that was until the 60th minute when George Keates received the ball 25 yards from goal, saw the Watcombe ‘keeper off his line and took his chance with a fine strike.

Watcombe continued to push and chance after chance went begging – just a reminder that last season, Saints were in the Premier Division and Watcombe were in Division Four, and that bit of extra experience held out for Saints to celebrate the first South Devon League cup final of the season with a firework display.

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Saints’ Ryan McGee won man of the match.

Elsewhere in the catch up cup games Newton Abbot ’66 and Waldon Athletic had a mammoth tussle in the semi final of the Belli cup at Osbourne Park, 2 – 2 at the end of full time and extra-time where Waldon were reduced to 10 men and ’66 just edged the penalty shootout to claim a cup final berth to look forward to. Newton Abbot Spurs Reserves, who themselves are enjoying their football again after a couple of seasons of struggle, possibly sent out a message to next season’s Premier Division teams by thrashing Elburton Villa Reserves 5 – 1 in the Herald Cup to progress to the quarter-finals. Bovey Tracey Reserves also had a comfortable afternoon at home to Barton Athletic; a 7 – 1 demolition job secured their place in the Les Bishop final and a league and cup double is still on the cards for the Moorlanders. Liverton United first team booked a place in the semi-final of the Ronald Cup with a 6 – 2 victory at Totnes and Dartington and their reserve team came out on top with a 2 – nil win against Drake FC, and they will play in the Les Bishop final against Chudleigh Athletic Seconds who beat Barton Athletic 5-nil with goals from Ben Hill, Kai Stocker, Christian Williams, Daniel Martin and super-sub Lloyd Hitchins.

In the Premier Division of the Torbay Clearance Services League, it looks like it is now Ilsington Villa’s title to lose; a 2-nil home win against their nearest rivals Morley Rangers, thanks to goals from Jack Dixon and Matt Warman, leaves them with 7 games to play and they would have to lose 3 of them to be caught. The other massive scoreline from this division was between the bottom two teams and it was Brixham AFC Reserves who have given themselves some hope with a fine 5 – 1 home win versus WBB; with 5 games left to play, the two teams just above them, East Allington and Chudleigh, need another 2 wins to be safe.

In Division One, Paignton Saints and Ivybridge Town Reserves continue to thunder on and are both now 8 points clear of Newton Abbot Spurs Reserves who have a lot of midweek games to fit in during the next 6 weeks. Saints won 3-nil against Totnes and Dartington, who are now out of the promotion race, and Ivybridge Town had a close game at Watcombe but just got over the line thanks to goals from Joe Truelove and Kyne Sanie; Brixham Town also dropped out of the promotion race; they lost 3 – 1 at Harbertonford who are probably safe from relegation with this win; Sebastian Looker and Jason Wilkes were on target for the Fords.

Division Two has been a fascinating competition and as it stands only Barton Athletic in fifth cannot go up or down; every other team in the top four can get promotion and the bottom 5 could be relegated; Bovey Tracey remain favourites with games in hand, but pre-season favourites Paignton Saints Seconds, with just 4 games to play, need to win them all and hope that Newton Spurs Thirds slip up. East Allington United Seconds are in third place and face Bovey Tracey Reserves next in the league.

In Division Three, there were wins for Stoke Gabriel TP and South Brent that keeps them in mid table, but both could squeeze into a promotion spot. Stoke beat Kingsbridge and Kellaton for the second time in 7 days; a Daniel Trezeze hat trick and singles from Adam Blackburn and Paul Christie completed the rout, and South Brent, who lost in midweek, just got the better of Newton Abbot ’66 reserves with a 1-nil home victory. Brent are 6 points off the top two and have 2 games in hand. Elsewhere in this division, Teign Village got a much-needed win in their trip to the seaside; 3 – 2 was the final score at Paignton Saints Thirds.

As Division Four’s top three were on cup duty, Kingsteignton Athletic Seconds and Elburton Villa Thirds took full advantage and moved into a position ready to pounce. The Rams were comfortable 3 – 1 home victors versus Paignton Villa Thirds; Samual Arthurs scored twice and an own goal helped them into fourth place with 7 games to play; Elburton Villa moved into fifth place, just 3 points off a promotion spot with 2 games in hand; it’s definitely hotting up with 6 weeks for teams to get their outstanding games played.

Games to catch this week include the second South Devon League Cup final of the season which is the Les Bishop Cup final. This is the knockout competition for teams in Division Four. Liverton Utd Seconds will play Chudleigh Athletic Seconds at Buckfastleigh on Friday 19th April with a 7.30pm K.O.

On Saturday 20th April, my game of the day is at Broadpark where Premier Division champions Kingsteignton Athletic take on Newton Abbot Spurs Reserves from Division One for a place in the Herald Cup semi-final; get there early !!! Also playing in their league cup, Watcombe Wanderers Seconds welcome Liverton Utd first team to Long Lane for a game that could go to the wire, but a cup final is the prize. Newton Abbot Spurs Thirds are also in cup action at their chosen home ground Chuley Road, Ashburton, where Paignton Saints Seconds will be looking to add to the silverware already collected.