Category: Herald Cup

signal box oak villa south devon football league 2026

Eight games survive Storm Austen on the last day of British Summer Time

TORBAY CLEARANCE SERVICES, SOUTH DEVON FOOTBALL LEAGUE. WEEKLY MATCH REPORTS 24th OCTOBER, by Alastair Muirden. Photo of Signal Box contributed by SDFL

There was an almighty contest at Broadpark in the game between Kingsteignton Athletic and East Allington United where the grounds team had clearly gone the extra mile to get the game on, and what a game it was: end-to-end with plenty of action and entertainment for the larger than normal attendance to enjoy. It looked cosy in the grandstand as everybody was huddled together trying to avoid the rain that came from all sides. The visitors took the lead early in the second half, when the Pirates management team made an inspired substitution by bringing on Finn Bullingham, and within 30 seconds, he found the back of the net and gave the manager a headache for next week’s Herald Cup team selection. From the restart, the Rams upped their game, and within ten minutes, Tom Reeves had poked home a goalmouth scramble from a corner kick to make it one each; both teams could have won the game, and when Luke Heard rattled the underside of the crossbar three minutes into stoppage time, for the home team, Owen Pound in the Allington goal was glad to see the ball bounce away from the goal-line and back into play. The game ended one each and on the balance of play, a fair result. In a division where three points separate eight teams, the point gained today may well turn out to be a valuable one.

The only other Premier game to go ahead was at Chudleigh Athletic, who were up against Newton Abbot ’66 and with both teams in the bottom four, three points would have put either in mid-table and three points from second place, but it wasn’t to be: these two also shared the points in a 2-2 draw; on target for the home team were Taylor Gill and Tom Slocombe with Liam Ashwell and Sol Janecki replying for ’66; both teams stay in the same places and Chudleigh keep their mean record at both ends of the pitch having only scored five goals in four games but conceding only six which is the second best defence in the Prem.

Just the one game survived in Division One, and Brixham Town were able to get their first win of the season in a visit to Long Lane to play Babbacombe Corries. The 2-1 result sees the Fishermen close in on mid-table and take the pressure off having had a tough opening few fixtures. Corries have had a nightmare of a start to life in Division One following promotion last season, but it has not gone unnoticed that they have lost to Bovey Reserves (twice), Paignton Villa, Buckland Reserves and Mount Gould, who all are hoping to be in the top division next term. And it does not get any easier as next week they travel to Mount Gould!!

There are new leaders in Division Two as Newton Abbot Spurs Thirds took advantage of Galmpton and ‘Kerswell being rained off. A 4-1 win at Coach Road against Paignton Saints Seconds, thanks to goals from Rhys Fewings, Ryan Cossey, Nick Garret and Jake Attard, puts Spurs one point clear of Galmpton and four in front of Kingskerswell, who both now have games in hand, and there is no fat lady in sight for Spurs just yet. However, they do look good value for a quick return to Division One.

In Division Four, it was top versus bottom at Manadon, and Signal Box (pictured) moved three points clear at the top with a comfortable 7-1 victory over Paignton Villa Thirds. Five of the goals came from Keanu Webb and Jake Maloney while Danny Johnson and Alfie Perks scored one each in their preparation for their big Herald Cup challenge next week. Windmill picked up their second win of the season with a close 3-2 victory over fellow mid-table side Ilsington Villa Seconds whose goals came from Jack Langford and Ernie Scott, but it was the home team that just had the edge in an entertaining game that got played at Faulston Park.

Two games beat the rain in Division Five, and once again the grounds team at Broadhempston United did a great job by preparing the grass pitch for play, and it paid off: the Robins won their first game of the season by beating Newton Rovers Seconds by eight goals to nil to join a group of five teams in the division where just three points separate them. Newton Albion are hanging on to the coat tails of the top three, and this week’s seven-nil win over an improving Kingsbridge and Kellaton United will give Albion continued belief of a promotion in their first season in the competition. On target for Albion were Owen Taylor and Cam Davis with two each, and singles were added by Sam Bryan, William Harrison and Daniel Kenward.

Games to catch on Saturday 31st October (at the time of writing):

There is an early Herald Cup Second Round game being played a week before the others, when Division Four outfit Signal Box welcome Premier Division East Allington United to Manadon 3G for a real banana skin game that kicks off at 2pm and is my game of the day.

In the Premier Division, Chudleigh Athletic will be the next team to try to stop Lakeside Athletic in their tracks, and there is a Plymouth derby game at Millbay Park as Elburton Villa Reserves cross the Cattewater for a 2.30pm kick off. Buckfastleigh Rangers will be eager to get their season up and running when Bovey Tracey visit the Duckspond, and there should be a cracker at South Devon College where Paignton Villa take on Watcombe Wanderers. In Division Two, there is an A38 derby game at Ashburton as they welcome Liverton United, and if the weather is bad, the reserve teams from Paignton Saints and True Blues meet at Coach Road. Division Three also has a couple of local derbies. For our supporters in the west, Bere Alston United Reserves (Div Four) take on Horrabridge Rangers (Div Three) in the Herald Cup at 2pm, and in Newton Abbot, Rovers take on ’66 at Bakers Park with a 2.30 start. There is a top of the table fixture in Division Four at Lakeside Athletic Seconds where visitors Buckland Athletic Thirds will test the home team’s credentials and another derby game, this time in Torquay, when Barton Athletic take on Waldon Athletic at 2.30, and finally, in Division Five, not so much a derby but a game between Newton Albion and WBB where a number of Albion players used to play for WBB should give for an interesting affair.

Enjoy your grassroots football.

the windmill dartmouth cup winners 2025

Herald Cup heartache for Buckland and Tavistock Reserves

TORBAY CLEARANCE SERVICES, SOUTH DEVON FOOTBALL LEAGUE. WEEKLY MATCH REPORTS 17th OCTOBER, by Alastair Muirden. Photo of The Windmill contributed by SDFL

Division One Buckland Athletic Seconds gave Premier Division East Allington United the fright of their lives in a thrilling game that ended 2-2 after extra-time. The Pirates held their nerve and progressed into Round Two courtesy of a penalty shoot-out win in a fixture that could well be a league game in the 27/28 season.

Newton Abbot ’66 made the trip to Division Two outfit Tavistock Reserves who were playing in this cup for the first time and the visitors, who over the years have won the cup on many occasions, were in no mood not to progress, but it took a mighty effort and goals from Adam Brenton (2), Carl Foskett and Sol Janecji to dig out a 4-2 victory in what was an entertaining cup game. In the all-Premier Division clash at Lewthorne Cross, Ilsington Villa were good value for their 4-1 win against Chudleigh Athletic. Goals from Dan Langford, Jack Dixon, Jamie Soper and Matt Warman set up a second round tie away to Galmpton United. In the all-Division One clash at Beesands Rovers, it was the visitors Brixham Town who finally found their scoring boots by not only avenging the recent league defeat by Rovers, but putting five goals past them and winning for the first time this season and progressing to face another all-Division One clash at Bovey Tracey Reserves in Round Two. Elsewhere in the Herald Cup, there was an entertaining game at Ashburton where Barton Athletic continue to punch below their weight, and this week’s 3-2 victory at the hands of higher league opposition also sees them set up an away tie in Round Two at Newton Abbot ’66. Another team winning for the first time this season were Buckfastleigh Rangers, who had to utilise their squad to play the game against Newton Rovers. A 5-2 victory was deserved for the Greens and the reward is a home tie versus True Blues in November.

In the Premier Division, it was business as usual for leaders Lakeside Athletic in a 2-1 win over local rivals Elburton Villa Reserves. They have now opened up an eight point gap at the top and are starting to look unstoppable. Paignton Saints are doing their best to keep tabs on them, and their 2-1 win over Newton Abbot Spurs Seconds, with goals from Connor Stewart and Brandon Kelly, keeps them in second place with a game in hand, and they have only lost once this season and that was at the hands of Lakeside. True Blues were the other upwardly mobile side this week thanks to a three-nil win over Totnes and Dartington. Caleb Taliss, Harrison Jones and Macauley Conway were on target for True Blues. Tots seem to be not far away from a win which would not only give them something to work with it would put them in touch of half of the division, and next up for them are Lakeside who they beat last season!!

In Division One, Paignton Villa and Bovey Tracey Reserves took full advantage of those teams on cup duty. Villa returned to the top with a fantastic 3-2 win at Mount Gould, and Bovey Tracey scored 14 without reply against a Babbacombe Corries side that never gave up but must be wishing they were back in Division Two. Sam Stowell was the highest talisman with five goals on the day. Just also a mention for the Corries linesman Colin Wren who was finally presented with the linesman of the year award prior to the game, so it was not all a bad news day for Corries. Thank you Colin for what you do for football in South Devon.

In Division Two, Newton Abbot Spurs Thirds had one of the results of the day by winning 3-2 at Galmpton United to inflict a first defeat of the season for the Greens and in doing so, moved into second place, leapfrogging Kingskerswell who did not play. Jake Elms, Frank Ornyik, Ryan Cossey and Jake Attard were the Spurs scorers. Plymouth True Blues Seconds slipped into fourth place with a good 4-2 win at East Allington United Seconds, whilst Ivybridge Town Seconds and Paignton Villa Seconds played out an entertaining 3-3 draw at Erme Valley. Liverton United picked up their second win of the season by beating Paignton Saints Seconds by two goals to one to move into fifth place after just four games. Oliver West and Ashley Dawes found the net for Livvy.

Newton Abbot ’66 Seconds remain in top spot in Division Three and maintained their 100 per cent record with a comfortable six-nil win versus Ipplepen Athletic Seconds who led the division in the early weeks but have lost three games in a row and could do with a morale boosting win pretty soon. Sixes’ goalscorers were Pat Marsh and Greg Rogers (2 each), Cody Monk and rolling back the years, Geordie Douglas with a single strike. Liverton Utd Seconds moved into third place with a tough 2-1 win at Kingsteignton Athletic Seconds. The result leaves the Rams three points from second place in a tight division.

In Division Four, Buckland Athletic Thirds spent Friday night in top position thanks to a 5–2 victory over The Windmill (pictured) under the lights at Homers Heath. Theirno Lo was the star of the game with four goals, and Mikolaj Piasecki weighed in with a single strike. It is always good to see where the next generation of SDFL players are coming from and there were some noticeable surnames on the Buckland team sheet that made me think of days gone bye: Feasby, Law, Bryant, Glanfield and Aggett all had a place in the starting lineup, and it will be interesting to see these sons and grandsons progress.

On Saturday, Signal Box dislodged Buckland with a four-nil win against Ilsington Villa Seconds, who have now tasted two wins, two draws and two defeats in their opening six games in adult football. On the coat-tails of SB are Lakeside Athletic Seconds who had enjoyed a 7-3 win at JC Park against Brixham Town Seconds to keep the top of the division very competitive. Waldon Athletic had a good afternoon at White Rock, winning for the first time this season. They beat Paignton Villa Thirds two-nil, with goals from Fred Ellicott and Luke Snell, to get some points on the board.

In Division Five, Tamerton Foliot were tested to the max when they faced second-placed Paignton Saints Thirds, and a 3-2 victory for the visitors keeps them at the top of the division after six games. Saints slip into third place as Tavistock Thirds leapfrogged them with a six-nil win at Broadhempston United. Waldon Athletic Seconds made it a double first winning weekend for the club. A 6-1 win over Newton Rovers Reserves gives them their first taste of victory following three draws and two defeats. Kingsbridge and Kellaton United move into fifth place following a 2-1 win at WBB and are only six points from second with three games in hand. Normally, it’s the goalscorers that get mentioned, but for this game, it’s Elliot Bellamy, who had to replace an injured goalkeeper between the sticks and pulled off two match-winning saves for the South Hams side.

All fixtures for Saturday 24th October are available to view on the league’s Full-Time web page, and don’t forget to put your clocks back. Thank you for following the South Devon Football League.

Lakeside move into position to challenge Plymouth rivals Windmill

TORBAY CLEARANCE SERVICES, SOUTH DEVON FOOTBALL LEAGUE. WEEKLY MATCH REPORTS 16th MAY, report by Alastair Muirden. Photo of WBB contributed by SDFL

Midweek Roundup:

Premier Division

Lakeside Athletic moved into second place with a 4-2 win at East Allington United setting up a tilt at the title if they can win at home to Windmill on Monday 18th May at Parkway social club at 6.30pm. Anything less that the full three points will hand the title to Windmill. At the bottom, the great escape is still on as Totnes and Dartington won five-nil versus a Paignton Saints side planning ahead for their trip to Plainmoor. The result leaves Newton Abbot ’66 still needing a win for survival from a home game v Kingsteignton Athletic or, on the 19th May, v Totnes and Dartington. One thing is for certain and that is that anything can happen in an end of season game.

Division One

Elburton Villa Reserves repaid Bovey Tracey Reserves for taking the Dartmouth Cup from their grasp by beating them 8-1 and start the task of not only playing ten games in 17 days, but winning at least seven of them to pinch one of the promotion spots, and what an achievement that would be. Next week, they face Barton, Mount Gould and Watcombe, and if they navigate those three, then the last game for them on 30th May is WBB!!!. Barton Athletic moved three points clear of Mount Gould with a five-nil win versus Newton Abbot Spurs Thirds. Oakley Hunt, Alfie Luscombe and Dom Lavalee were on target for the Blues.

Division Three

South Brent reached the safety point mark with a one-nil win over Liverton United Seconds, and Totnes and Dartington Seconds also won by the same scoreline over Buckfastleigh Rangers Seconds leaving them needing one point from two games to condemn Ipplepen Athletic Seconds and Waldon Athletic Seconds to a lower division. South Brent played their second midweek game against Ipplepen Athletic Seconds, who really needed all three points but had to settle for one in a 3-3 draw. It leaves the Pens needing to win their final game to stand a chance of staying in Division Three.

Division Four

Barton Athletic Seconds moved into third place with a 2-1 win at Brixham Town Seconds. The result leaves Teign Village, in second place, needing two points from three games to be sure of promotion, and they lost one of those lives when they lost 3-1 to Waldon Athletic Thirds, who can still catch them. Village now need three points from two remaining games to be sure of second place. It really could not be any closer, as Barton Athletic Seconds can also catch them. They won 2-1 at Brixham Town thanks to goals from Mathew Leighton and Zach Norton.

Division Three Ronald Cup final (sponsored by Coast and Country estate agents)

The players and volunteers of Newton Abbot ’66 Seconds and Kingskerswell were given the once in a lifetime opportunity by Torquay United and the SDFL management to play the Division Three cup final at Plainmoor, and both teams responded by providing a thoroughly entertaining 90 minutes of cup final football then another 30 minutes of nailbiting extra-time for supporters, and then a penalty shoot-out that ended in joy for ‘Kerswell and pride from the ’66 players who were soaking up the atmosphere they had created for 450 watching spectators. Toby Ballard put ‘Kerswell in front on 13 minutes, and ’66 looked like they were wobbling. But ’66 are a difficult team to beat and they kept to their game plan, and by the time we got to half-time, Jordan Pidwell and Mat Groves had put them in front. Just five minutes into the second half came the big talking point of the game: ‘Kerswell player running into the box with the ball, in comes a tackle, some thought the player got the ball, some did not, and the referee agreed with the latter. The referee spoke to his assistant, who offered an opinion, and then pointed to the spot, and Kyle Doughty stepped up to score a penalty that he will never forget. Extra-time came and went with lots of nerves and missed chances, and the penalty shoot-out was as nervous as the previous 30 minutes. ’66 missed two kicks to ‘Kerswell’s one and handed the divisional cup to Kingskerswell for the second year running.

Herald Cup (sponsored by Torbay Clearance Services)

It’s been 20 years since the Herald Cup final has been played at Plainmoor, and the 600 spectators that turned up were reminded that football is still a winter sport and even in May it can be freezing when the sun goes down. Both teams were playing in their first Herald Cup final and were appreciative of the work that had gone into securing the venue for such a fixture. Lakeside Athletic arrived as favourites and to have the eventual man of the match in Adam Carter playing up front for them was surely a red flag for Paignton Saints. However, it was Saints that took the game to the Plymouth side and had those two early chances got past Ben Martin in the Lakeside goal, then this report would have been different. David Moore put Lakeside in front on 29 minutes and just three minutes later, that man Adam Carter had made it two. By now, Lakeside were playing with some swagger and Saints needed to up their game, but it seemed to be over when Carter got his second of the night and a third for Lakeside. Having nothing to lose, Saints did seem to wise up and give Lakeside less time on the ball, and when Thomas Ross pulled one back, there was hope that if they could get a second goal, it would be game on. Thomas Ross was putting himself about a bit more, but at five foot something up against Mr. Carter at six foot something, the difference was there to see. All ten substitutes were used, and the fourth and final goal came right at the end and sealed a 4-1 victory to put Lakeside Athletic on the Herald Cup for the first time.

The SDFL would like to thank Torquay United for including grassroots football into their community project thus giving four football teams and their volunteers the opportunity of a lifetime to experience playing a game on what to many is considered hallowed turf. Close to 1100 supporters, family and friends have also been included in the experience of watching the games that both turned out to be entertaining and played in good spirits. The SDFL would also like to thank our sponsors for these two events in Torbay Clearance Services and Coast and Country estate agents.

Devon County Senior Cup Final

Congratulations to Watts Blake Bearne who beat Bovey Tracey Reserves 2-1 in another all-SDFL Senior Cup final. In fact, this is the third year in a row that two SDFL teams have made it to the final and, of course, keep the trophy in the south of the county. Both teams so far have had a great season with Bovey winning the Dartmouth Cup and Wattsies reaching the Herald Cup semi-final and currently enjoying top spot in Division One. Is it true that Andy Moore was seen putting up a new shelf in the clubhouse last week?

Saturday summary

In the Premier Division, it was the relegation zone that was in the spotlight with Newton Abbot ’66 picking up one of the two points they need to stay in the top division. A 1-1 draw with Kingsteignton Athletic at Osborne Park means they just need a draw when they play Totnes and Dartington at home on Tuesday at 6.30pm. Just to emphasise how tight the division is, ’66 could finish in fifth place. They could also be relegated. East Allington United won their first game since early April with a 4-2 win against Newton Abbot Spurs Seconds, and that puts a bit of pressure on the third place that Spurs looked like achieving just last week, but they still have three games to put the loss behind them.

Division One is proving more difficult to predict with two weeks to go, and Barton Athletic will be kicking themselves for dropping more points on the run in, this time at Buckland Athletic Reserves, who concluded their season with a credible 1-1 draw against the promotion challengers. The result leaves Barton hoping that Mount Gould and Elburton Villa Reserves drop points. Villa cruised to an 11-nil victory versus a Liverton United side that look like they are returning to Division Two after one season in this division. Villa, on the other hand, have 14 days to play eight games, and the target is 22 points from those games which gets them promoted; that, of course, may be less as they still have to play Barton, Mount Gould and WBB. Watcombe Wanderers moved away from danger with their second win in two weeks; this week, they won 6-2 against Newton Abbot Spurs Thirds to create an eight point gap as breathing space.

In Division Two, Babbacombe Corries took a giant leap towards promotion by winning 3-2 at Drake FC and now only need one point from three games to be sure of bouncing straight back to Division One after relegation. Ashburton are making a final push for third place, and a 14-1 win versus Newton Rovers improves their goal difference as a bit of insurance. One of the results of the day must go to Upton Athletic, who, in playing their final game of the season, won their first game of the season and scored eight goals in the process against Harbertonford, proving that it does pay to be patient.

The relegation picture in Division Three is a bit clearer after Ipplepen Athletic Reserves won their final game versus Waldon Athletic Reserves 4-2 leaving themselves in the bottom two on goal difference from Buckfastleigh Rangers Seconds, who need a point against ’66 Seconds or South Brent to avoid the drop as the goal difference is just one, meaning they can’t lose both games and stay up. Newton Abbot ’66 Seconds still had a hangover from their trip to Plainmoor as they lost to Totnes and Dartington Seconds 3-2. This win for Tots, and other results, means they are safe from relegation. South Brent edged a 3-2 mid-table game against Kingsteignton Athletic Seconds in their third game of the week that produced nine points for them. For some reason, only half of the teams in Division Three had a fixture on Saturday, and all of them still have games to play.

Division Four is just as close as the others, and with two weeks of the season to go, Teign Village used up the second of three lives they had a week ago. A two-nil loss at Bere Alston United Reserves leaves them needing to win at Kingsbridge and Kellaton United to secure promotion, but having lost their last two games, this will give all connected to the club seven sleepless nights. Bere Alston United are still in the mix as are Barton Athletic Seconds, who won 4-1 at Broadhempston United and are in a battle with Alston for third place or second if Village slip up for a third time, but this time next week, we will know. One thing that we do know from those results is that Chudleigh Athletic Seconds cannot now be caught and are the Division Four champions. Congratulations to all at Chudleigh Athletic Seconds for a league and cup double.

Game to catch on Friday 22nd May: George Belli Cup final (Premier Division)

The Windmill v Lakeside Athletic at Ivybridge Town FC, 7pm kick-off.

Probably the top two teams in the SDFL go head-to-head to win the newest trophy in the SDFL collection. They both actually meet each other in a league showdown on Monday 18th May, so by the time this game is played, either one of them will be playing for a league and cup double. The earlier league fixture between them went the way of Windmill by three goals to two, so expect to see the unexpected.

Our hosts have plenty of parking, and a full bar and food service will be available.

Enjoy the last grassroots cup final of the season.

chudleigh athletic reserves les bishop cup winners 2026

A Salmon leap of faith for Chudleigh Athletic pays off

TORBAY CLEARANCE SERVICES, SOUTH DEVON FOOTBALL LEAGUE. WEEKLY MATCH REPORTS 2nd MAY, report by Alastair Muirden. Photo of Chudleigh Athletic Reserves contributed by SDFL

Midweek roundup:

Premier Division: Plymouth True Blues moved back into second place with a nail-biting 2-1 victory at Buckfastleigh Rangers, who now need at least a point from their final game to avoid the drop. Caleb Needham and Dylan Holgate were on target for The Blues.

Division One: WBB leapfrogged four teams into pole position with an emphatic 11-1 win over bottom club Newton Abbot Spurs Thirds. The Buckland Athletic Reserves v Barton Athletic game was abandoned due to a serious injury to Aiden Walton that involved two ambulance crews and will need to be rescheduled. The SDFL would also give thanks to the club physio Page at Buckland Athletic, who was able to deal with the injury in a professional manner until the medical teams arrived.

Division Two: Harbertonford moved to within one point of safety with a 3-2 win at Paignton Villa Seconds. Goals from Billy Bright, George Cordon and Kyle Northcott virtually secures Division Two status for the Fords with four games to play.

Division Three: Kingskerswell moved to within three points of Galmpton at the top with a routine five-nil win at Totnes and Dartington. The Tots have seven games left and need a win to take them out of the bottom two.

Herald Cup Semi Final: 210 people were treated to a late night by Paignton Saints and Ilsington Villa in a game of two halves and some extra, then some penalties. Saints really should have been three-nil in front before Villa got back into the game and looked more dangerous going forward. But those missed chances from both teams saw eight substitutes used that installed a bit of urgency to the game. Both goalkeepers made some match winning saves, and the standout players were Thomas Ross and Edward Leigh for Saints and Jack Langford and Mike Summers for Villa. The game ended nil-nil after 90 minutes and 1-1 after extra-time as Edward Leigh put Saints in front before Jack Langford equalised from the spot. In the shootout, Saints missed one kick and Villa missed two to send Saints into a Herald Cup final at Plainmoor on Friday 15th May (full match report and photos on Daves World).

Les Bishop Final (Division Four): Just short of 100 spectators watched a great game of football in the evening sunshine at Buckfastleigh. It was played in a great spirit with no yellow cards and was a credit to both clubs. It was end-to-end for 90 minutes, and you could not take your eyes off the play as there was always something happening. The shots on goal, however, certainly kept the ball retrievers busy, and it took 70 minutes of play to see the only goal of the game. It came from a high pass into the box that looked as if the defenders would simply clear, but Jack Salmon got his head in front of the advancing ‘keeper to head the ball over his outstretched arms into the goal to set off the Chudleigh celebrations. Bere Alston United Reserves continued to create plenty of chances but could not find that final touch to draw level. Well done to Chudleigh Athletic Seconds for winning the cup, and well done to Bere Alston United Seconds for reaching a divisional cup final in their first season in the SDFL. Man of the match, chosen by the cup’s sponsor Torre Trophies, was Jack Salmon of Chudleigh Athletic, and the SDFL would like to thank Buckfastleigh Rangers for putting on a great show.

Jack Salmon is the toast of Chudleigh this weekend. Roll forward 24 hours, and he was scoring a hat-trick that guaranteed the first team Premier Division status next term. The goals came in a 4-2 win at East Allington United in atrocious conditions that would have been the norm in January but not in May. It looks as if the title will go to the wire but is likely to end up being delivered to a Plymouth-based team, depending on the results from the final few games. Windmill unbelievably dropped two points at Newton Abbot ’66 despite being five-nil up at half time. Sixes fought back to draw the game 5-5, and in fact could have won it at the death had it not been for a game-saving tackle by the Windmill centre-back. Liam Ashwell, Freddie Hulance, Joe Clark-Farley and Luke Snell were the second half saviours for Sixes, who just need another point to be safe from relegation. But at the top, Windmill, who have two games left, against True Blues and Lakeside Athletic, need to win them both to be sure of 51 points. Lakeside can also get to 51 points with a full haul of points from their remaining seven games. Ilsington Villa were surprisingly held at home to a 2-2 draw by bottom team Totnes and Dartington, who seem to have had their best results against the better teams. Tots have four games to play and need to get 12 points to have any chance of staying in the top division. As for Villa, they appear to be in a three team battle for third place at the moment.

Division One now looks to be a four horse race with Bovey Tracey Reserves as outsiders for the two promotion places. Barton Athletic remain top on goal difference following a comprehensive 6-1 victory versus Beesands Rovers, and Mount Gould had another tough afternoon but overcame bottom team Newton Abbot Spurs Thirds with a 2-1 win courtesy of a Billy Eccles double strike. Elburton Villa Reserves remain in ninth place; after their 8-1 win at Brixham Town, they are 18 points off the lead, but with seven games in hand and 12 league games to play, plus a cup final, in the remaining four weeks of the season, they are going to be a busy team and are probably hoping that the players don’t have too many other commitments for the month of May. WBB slipped back into third place, as they were on Dartmouth Cup duty, where they lost 3-2 to Bovey Tracey in what was another great advert for the SDFL in poor conditions. WBB have seven games to play plus a county cup final, so their brief is clear: seven wins for a place in the top division, eight wins is the icing on the cake.

The race for second place in Division Two is getting tighter, as Babbacombe Corries dropped two points at Harbertonford in a 2-2 draw and are now just three points ahead of Drake FC, who were given a walkover by Ivybridge Town Reserves, who could not raise a side. Depending on next week’s results, there could be a promotion-winning game on 16th May when Corries travel to Drake in a league fixture that will be a great game to catch. Ashburton remain as outsiders, but a 6-3 win at Newton Rovers keeps them on track for a top four finish, but depending on what the top two do over the next two weeks. it could be more. Being at the bottom is not much fun for anybody, but hats off to all at Upton Athletic who keep the name in the SDFL by turning up every week for a game of grassroots football. This week’s 16-1 reverse against Paignton Saints Seconds leaves the Torquay side hoping for better times in a lower division and Saints into mid-table with a positive goal difference. In fact, there are only three teams in Division Two with a negative goal difference.

It is as you were at the top of Division Three, with both Galmpton United and Kingskerswell continuing to battle it out for first and second place. Galmpton United won two-nil at home to South Brent, and ‘Kerswell beat Kingsteignton Athletic Seconds three-nil thanks to a Thomas Dare hat-trick. The two sides play each other on Saturday 9th May at Galmpton, with a 2.30pm kick off, in a game that the home team need to win, as ‘Kerswell can afford to lose it and still win the division. It should be a great game to watch. Stoke Gabriel TP and Newton Abbot ’66 Seconds are both making late challenges, but both look destined for third and fourth. SGTP won seven-nil at Ipplepen Athletic Reserves, and Newton Abbot ’66 Seconds won 4-2 at Liverton United Seconds. Totnes and Dartington Seconds could not raise a side therefore giving Waldon Athletic Reserves a walkover which leapfrogged them out of the bottom two, a leapfrog that included T and D.

And in Division Four, it is also as you were as the top two did not play, but Teign Village, currently in second place, still need six points from four games to guarantee promotion, as Waldon Athletic Thirds can get to 44 points. They slipped up this week when they were held to a 3-3 draw by Brixham Town Seconds in an entertaining game. Barton Athletic Seconds are also outsiders but in the mix for a top three place following a six-nil win at Kingsbridge and Kellaton United, and the game between the bottom two went the way of Paignton Saints Thirds, who won six-nil against Newton Rovers Reserves. The result does not change the standings as they are both some seven points behind Broadhempston United.

Games to catch week ending 9th May: The SDFL cup finals come thick and fast, and this Friday 8th May is the turn of the Division One Dartmouth Cup, which is being played at Ivybridge Town FC with a 7pm kick off. Bovey Tracey Reserves versus Elburton Villa Reserves should be a great cup final, as the only time they have played each other this season was in the county cup, where Bovey won by a single goal. It is also a first cup final visit to Erme Valley for the SDFL, who will be looked after by experienced hosts who are used to handling big games. Plenty of parking and a full bar and food service will be supplied by our hosts.

drake fc lidstone cup winners 2026

Three second half goals decide Lidstone Cup final

TORBAY CLEARANCE SERVICES, SOUTH DEVON FOOTBALL LEAGUE. WEEKLY MATCH REPORTS 25th APR, report by Alastair Muirden. Photo of Drake FC contributed by SDFL

Midweek roundup:

Last week, I suggested that an improving Buckland Athletic Reserves would be taking some points from teams in the run in and Bovey Tracey Reserves will not be the first team or the last team to have their promotion hopes dented. A 3-1 home loss means the moorland side need other results to go in their favour to have a top two finish. In the Premier Division, Buckfastleigh Rangers and Chudleigh Athletic settled for a point each in a 2-2 draw, which may suit the visitors more than the hosts. Back in Division One, and Barton Athletic moved into pole position with a comfortable six-nil win versus Newton Abbot Spurs Thirds. At the time of writing, only four points separate the top six teams in what has been, and remains, a fantastic competition. In Division Three, Galmpton United moved six points clear of ‘Kerswell, who have four games in hand, with a six-nil win at Totnes and Dartington Reserves. The Tots are still at the wrong end of the table, but it’s all very tight, and a win for any of the bottom five would take them out of the drop zone.

Wednesday turned out to be a win-win night for Windmill: as they were battling to beat East Allington United by three goals to two, Ilsington Villa were suffering a 3-1 defeat at Newton Abbot Spurs Reserves. The two results leave Windmill needing nine points from four remaining games to be crowned champions for the first time. Those four games are against ’66, Kingsteignton, True Blues and Lakeside, so it’s not an easy run in for them. The noose continues to tighten in Division One thanks to Paignton Villa, who held WBB to a 3-3 draw at Abbrook Park. The result leaves Wattsies joint top, with Mount Gould and Barton Athletic, and Villa in fifth place, just three points off the top, having played two more games. Also in Division One, Elburton Villa Reserves continue to pick up points, and their four-nil win at home to Newton Abbot Spurs Thirds keeps them in ninth place with enough games in hand to go top; and it’s a big ‘IF they win six games in hand’.

Lidstone Cup Final:

The sun was shining down on the Dartington Hall estate for the Division Two final, where over 100 spectators turned out to see Drake FC (pictured) beat Babbacombe Corries three-nil to win the trophy. It was a game between one of the oldest clubs in the SDFL against one of the youngest. The game was a game of two halves, with Corries having the better of the first half without taking their chances, and it ended goalless, full of half-chances, late tackles and low on quality, and the referee was already having a busy evening.

bailey sheldon man of the match drake fc sdfl division two cup winners 2026
Man of the Match: Drake FC goalkeeper Bailey Sheldon. Photo contributed by SDFL.

The second half had a bit more positivity about it, as Drake took the game to Corries, and on seven minutes into the half, a challenge by the Corries centre-half, just inside the box, gave the referee a decision to make, and he pointed to the spot. Paul Thompson stepped up to send Billy Lindsay in the Corries goal the wrong way. The Torquay side then had to open up and push forward, and as often happens, they left gaps at the back, and just seven minutes after Drake took the lead, a cross into the box that was going nowhere took a touch off a Corries defender and ended up in the net to make it two-nil. At this point, Corries had nothing to lose. The changes came, and they did, on occasion, look more dangerous, but those final balls into the box did not connect and the game was getting more tetchy. Ollie Sheldon got the third for Drake, 21 minutes into the second half, and to be fair to Corries, they never gave up, and the substitutions from both teams did add some spice to the game. The game saw five yellows and two red cards issued, and the man of the match award was given to the Drake goalkeeper Bailey Sheldon by the match sponsors Bettesworths estate agents from Torquay.

captain drake fc sdfl lidstone cup winners 2026
Drake FC’s captain with the Lidstone Cup. Photo contributed by SDFL.

At the top of the Premier Division, Windmill surprisingly dropped points at home to Kingsteignton Athletic in their quest for the title. Jake Harris and Jack Biscoe were on target for the Plymouth side, whilst Luke Heard and Ashley Heyworth replied for the Rams in a 2-2 draw. The result leaves Windmill needing eight points from their final three games or Lakeside Athletic could nick it from them. Kingsteignton Athletic have moved three points clear of the two relegation places meaning that Buckfastleigh Rangers need four points from two games to stay in the top division. Lakeside Athletic remain in second place thanks to a 4-2 win versus Chudleigh Athletic. They still have seven games to fit in and one of them is against Windmill, which could turn out to be a title decider, Chudleigh need a win from six games to be safe for another top flight season. A single goal from Tyler Almond was enough for True Blues to win the points from Ilsington Villa in a close encounter at Millbay Park. Both teams remain well-placed in the division but must pin their hopes on a cup win if they are to get their hands on some silverware. True Blues are still in the Belli Cup, and Villa have a Herald Cup semi-final looming next Wednesday against Paignton Saints, who warmed up for the game by beating East Allington United in the Belli cup by three goals to nil. It was another family affair for Saints as father and son Simon and Thomas Ross were both on the scoresheet with Mike Hernandez to help Saints enjoy what is becoming a full season for them. Newton Abbot ’66 got a vital win at Totnes and Dartington by four goals to nil, which keeps them clear of any danger, and realistically, only Buckfastleigh could catch them, so one more win for Sixes from six games should be enough. As for Totnes and Dartington, they need 11 points from five games to avoid playing in Division One next term.

In Division One, Bovey Tracey Reserves were unable to raise a team to play Brixham Town which gives them a mountain to climb; it also gives Town three more points and keeps them mathematically in with a chance of promotion. Mount Gould returned to winning ways but had to up their game to beat this improving Buckland Athletic Reserves side by two goals to one at Homers Heath. Ray Spear and Lee Rundle were the target men for The Mounties, but it’s Barton Athletic who stay on top of a pack of five teams separated by just three points. Their three-nil win at Liverton United came courtesy of Oakley Hunt, who scored twice, and Eden Cresswell-Cluer, keeping the fire burning for the Torquay side. Paignton Villa remain in fourth place but are running out of games. They had, as you would expect, a tough afternoon at Long Lane against a Watcombe Wanderers team with their own agenda to not get relegated. Villa came away with a 5-2 success and a few bruises to nurse. WBB, who still have eight league games and a county cup final to fit in, were on Dartmouth Cup duty and dispatched Beesands Rovers by four goals to nil to add to their fixture list. Just also to say well done to the Beesands players running in the London Marathon for their local charity.

The Division Two title was the first league presentation of the season as Signal Box Oak Villa overcame a very stubborn Harbertonford two-nil. It took two second half substitutions to win the game with goals from Jordan Rickards and Jake Gallini, who ran the line for the first half. Little did he know that he would give up the flag to come on and score the winner and clinch the title. It’s the first season in the SDFL for Signal Box who will come up against a different challenge next season. Corries, who of course were on cup duty, remain in second place with six games to play and at the moment, they need to win four of them to secure second place and Division One football next season. Drake FC are now the only other challengers for promotion but need Babbacombe to slip up twice to overtake them. East Allington United Seconds, who are in third but only have three remaining games, had a big ten-nil result at Upton Athletic for whom the end of the season can’t come quick enough. Ashburton, who are also outsiders but need Corries to lose three of their six games, also had a big seven-nil win at home to Paignton Villa Seconds. Down at the bottom, both Upton Athletic and Newton Rovers are 11 points from safety with five games to play. In fact, a great deal of credit is due to Woody for keeping Upton on the pitch as they are yet to win a game this season.

In Division Three, Alex Harding and Stephen Rohan were on target for Kingskerswell in their two-nil win at Buckfastleigh Rangers Reserves who must have thought the worst as the Torquay side took the lead in the first minute, but it all settled down into a decent game of football for the supporters to watch. Galmpton United were gifted three points as South Brent could not raise a team for the second time in three weeks, and ‘Kerswell will be hoping they survive as they have played them twice. Stoke Gabriel TP moved into third place with a nine-nil win over Waldon Athletic. Finally in this division, Newton Abbot ’66 made it through to the Ronald Cup final with a 4-1 victory over Ipplepen Athletic Seconds. The victory is made all the more sweeter for the ’66 players, as the SDFL have been able to secure Plainmoor for the final on Thursday 14th May.

The big game in Division Four between the top two went the way of Chudleigh Athletic Seconds who overcame Teign Village by three goals to nil, and it is now their title to lose, as they only have three games to play and mathematically need six points to lift the trophy. That depends on the results from the last four games that Village have left, as they need seven points to secure the runners-up slot, as Waldon Athletic Thirds have nine games left. Bere Alston United had a 13-3 win at home versus Paignton Villa Thirds, who remain in third place with just one to play, and a big well done to Newton Rovers Reserves, who won for the first time with a 3-2 result at Broadhempston United, and the victory takes them off the bottom to leave Paignton Saints Thirds in that place.

Games to catch week ending 2nd May:

Wednesday 29th April its Herald Cup Semi-Final (part two): Ilsington Villa versus Paignton Saints at Buckland Athletic FC, 7pm kick off. This is the best chance for both of these teams to win some silverware this season, so I expect both sets of players to leave nothing on the pitch at the end of the game. In the league games between the two, Saints won 5-4 and Ilsington won 2-1, so we can expect a close encounter with some goals.

Our hosts offer plenty of parking and a full bar and food service. Don’t miss it.

Friday 1st May:

It’s the turn of two of the best teams in Division Four to go head to head in the Les Bishop Cup Final. The game will be played at Buckfastleigh Rangers FC, with a 7pm kick off. Chudleigh Athletic Seconds are on the hunt for a league and cup double, but the team from the furthest outpost of the SDFL in Bere Alston United Reserves will be looking to win some silverware in their first season in the competition. In the only league game between them, Chudleigh won 4-2, and they have a goal scoring average of five goals per game whilst Alston average three, so we can expect a high-scoring final.

The hosts offer plenty of parking, and a full bar service will be available to start your weekend.

Enjoy your grassroots football.

lakeside athletic crest

Herald Cup joy for Lakeside Athletic

TORBAY CLEARANCE SERVICES, SOUTH DEVON FOOTBALL LEAGUE. WEEKLY MATCH REPORTS 18th APR, report by Alastair Muirden

Plymouth-based Lakeside Athletic became the first team to book a berth in this seasons Herald Cup Final by beating Watts Blake Bearne by two goals to nil in front of a big attendance at Homers Heath (full match report and photos are on Daves World). The Premier Division outfit were bigger and stronger than their opponents from Division One, and the fact that these two sides may meet in a league fixture next season tells you that there was not much between them. WBB had chances early in the game but failed to take them, and the first goal came about from a goalkeeper error that got him booked, and JJ Honeywell was in the right place to touch the loose ball home, but the second goal that followed soon after was a sublime free-kick that had Jaden Wood doing cartwheels back into his own half. Lakeside must now wait for the other semi-final between Ilsington Villa and Paignton Saints to find out who their opponents will be in the Plainmoor showdown.

The abandoned quarter-final game between Paignton Saints and East Allington United – due to an injury to Robbie Chalk – was finally played, and it went the way of the Saints who pulled off possibly their best result of the season so far by beating the Pirates by four goals to one and will now meet Ilsington Villa in the semi-final. On target for Saints were Jake Powell, Joe Wilden and a young man to look out for in Thomas Ross. In fact, whilst he was on target for the first team, his Dad Simon also found the net for the third team. Unfortunately the result was a bit different.

Midweek results:

In the Premier Division, Ilsington Villa had a tough evening at Chudleigh Athletic, but a Jack Langford goal keeps the Moorlanders there or thereabouts; two of the bottom three met at Buckfastleigh where Rangers and ’66 shared the points in a 3-3 draw, and Sixes will need to turn those games in hand into three point games to avoid the drop. In Division One, Bovey Tracey Reserves lost some ground on the top two with a 2-1 loss to Beesands Rovers, who are well-placed but only have three games left. The result leaves the door open for Mount Gould and WBB to contest the title at the moment. Move forward three days and it’s all change.

Saturday report:

At the top of the Premier Division, Windmill continue to go about their business, and an eight-nil win versus Totnes and Dartington puts them 13 points clear with five games to play and needing ten points to be crowned champions. Brodie Simpson managed to find the back of the net, but the hero, with four goals, was Miles Hunt. Former golden boot winner Corbin Mackin was also on target with Jake Harris and Rimae Darlington-Eyre. Ilsington Villa moved into fifth place and are now one of five teams within two points of second place following a comprehensive 5-1 win over Newton Abbot ’66, who are in real danger of playing Division One football next season unless they start to make good use of those games in hand. Jamie Soper, Matt Warman, Matt Pilkington and Jamie Beer found the net for the Moorlanders. Kingsteignton Athletic gave themselves some breathing space with a 4-2 win at Chudleigh Athletic and are now four points clear of the drop zone. The result for Chudleigh means that they have a ‘don’t lose’ game against Buckfastleigh Rangers next Saturday, who only have three games left to play to stay in the top division.

I had to look twice at the results coming in from Division One as they continue to surprise and shock. Result of the day must go to Barton Athletic who put seven goals past Mount Gould without reply, and it had me thinking ‘has that ever happened before?’ Certainly not since they joined the SDFL. Whilst there are still seven games to play, the result effectively leaves the door open for WBB and Barton to grab the two promotion places if they can hold their nerve. Bovey Tracey are another side that could spoil that party, and they will be pleased to get back to winning ways after a midweek defeat. A 2-1 success over Paignton Villa, who themselves are only three points from second place, was a good result for Bovey, who are nine points behind with two games in hand. There are still six teams that could be promoted from this division, and the team with the most games to play are Elburton Villa Reserves, who have just played only their second league game since 25th October. They have seven games in hand with 15 games to play in seven weeks and a big squad to choose from. They won 2-1 against an improving Buckland Athletic Reserves side, who are going to take some points from opposition in the final weeks of the season with a new management team looking on. Brixham Town remain in third place, and an eight-nil win versus the rollercoaster team in the division – Watcombe Wanderers – will be a tonic for the Fishermen, who have just three games left to end this term. In the battle at the bottom of Division One, the ‘don’t lose’ email was fully read and understood by both teams, as Liverton United and Newton Abbot Spurs Thirds shared the points in a 3-3 draw. Nik Garrett and Rhys Fewings were on target at Halford, and the result leaves both teams with a chance to stay in the division, but there are only two points separating the bottom three, who are eight points adrift from safety.

In Division Two, the pre-season favourites Signal Box Oak Villa moved to within three points of the title with a four-nil win at Ivybridge Town Reserves; they have three games remaining. It’s their first season in the SDFL, and having only lost two league games and three cup games all season, the challenge of finding new towns and villages up the A38 has been as enjoyable as their form on the pitch, and they can look forward to the challenges that Division One will throw at them next season. A win for Oak Villa at Harbertonford on 25th April will secure the trophy. Babbacombe Corries have also had a great season and have pushed Oak Villa all the way, and a nine-nil win over a struggling Upton Athletic almost seals second place but not quite. Keiron Sweet was again on target for Corries, with four goals, and there were singles for Jack Cousins, Curtis Marshall, Lee Mcarthur, Oliver Riches and Jordan Bradshaw. Drake FC could catch Corries should results go their way, and the two sides meet in the divisional cup final next Friday at Dartington, which should be a great game. Harbertonford increased the gap at the bottom to 11 points by beating Newton Rovers 4-1; goals for Billy Bright, Isaac Phillips and Kyle Northcott looks to have condemned Rovers to Division Three football next season where undoubtably they will have a better season. Paignton Villa Seconds moved up a place to seventh with a 4-1 victory over East Allington United Seconds which inflicted a 4-1 double loss for the South Hams outfit on a day to forget for them. Villa should be happy with a mid-table berth in what has been a tough division with some good teams.

The runaway leaders in Division Three continue to plough through their opposition. Galmpton United remain on top having played three games more than Kingskerswell, who must still be considered favourites for the title. Galmpton had a five-nil win at Buckfastleigh Rangers Reserves, and ‘Kerswell scored ten goals without reply against a South Brent side who still have ten games to play in what is becoming an annual event at Palstone Park in keeping the neighbours awake on a Tuesday and Thursday evening in May. There are just two points separating the bottom four teams, and one of them is Ipplepen Athletic Reserves. They lost 3-1 at Stoke Gabriel TP Reserves, and with five games left to play, they could do with finding a win from one of their four remaining home games. Newton Abbot ’66 Reserves have had a great season, and with eight games still to play, they will be looking for a top three finish. This week, they won five-nil against a good Kingsteignton Athletic second team who remain in fourth place with six games to play.

In Division Four, the top two places have been nailed on for some time, but Chudleigh Athletic Seconds and Teign Village have not got the job done just yet. Chudleigh did their bit this week by winning 6-1 at home to Waldon Athletic Thirds and now need just four points from four games to win promotion, depending on lots of permutations from Waldon Athletic Thirds, Bere Alston United Reserves and Barton Athletic Seconds who are in a bit of form at the moment. Barton won 12-2 at Paignton Saints Thirds to remain very much in the mix. Charlie Uniacke and Nathen Crook both scored four goals each to keep the pressure on the top two for now.

Games to catch:

This Friday evening the 24th April sees the Division Two Lidstone Cup Final being played at Totnes and Dartington’s ground Foxhole. This season’s finalists are Drake FC and Babbacombe Corinthians. The teams sit in fourth and second in the league, and Corries won the only league encounter three-nil. The game has a 6.30pm kick-off, and the host club will have a full bar and food service available, and there is plenty of parking. The weather forecast is looking good, so get yourself along to Dartington to watch a great game of football in the sunshine.

Enjoy your grassroots football.

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.

newton abbot 66 south devon football league 2025

The first week of spring delivers a full program of fixtures for South Devon’s footballers

TORBAY CLEARANCE SERVICES, SOUTH DEVON FOOTBALL LEAGUE. WEEKLY MATCH REPORTS 7th MAR, report by Alastair Muirden. Photo of Newton Abbot ’66 contributed by SDFL

At the top of the Premier Division, Windmill were at full sail to put their Herald Cup disappointment behind them by moving seven points clear with a comprehensive 6-1 victory at in-form Chudleigh Athletic to send out a ‘catch us if you can’ message to the other contenders; Brodie Simpson continues to find the back of the net for the Plymouth outfit.

The Newton Abbot derby game between Spurs and ’66 (pictured) ended in a sharing of the points with a 1-1 scoreline. The result would have been well received by the west area teams who can still be caught by both Newton Abbot teams if they can turn games in hand into maximum points. Paignton Saints remain just three points off the leading pack albeit having played more games, but a 4-2 win at Buckfastleigh Rangers, thanks to strikes from Cairo Broadway, Brandon Kelly and Mike Hernandez, leaves Rangers adrift at the bottom with Totnes and Dartington who were in Belli Cup action, and they faced a tough test at Lakeside Athletic who scored five goals without reply. In the same cup, Plymouth True Blues progressed courtesy of a close 2-1 win over Kingsteignton Athletic with goals from Bayley Williams and a late penalty from William Stringer. There were also two delayed Herald Cup games that went ahead: East Allington United made the short trip up the Erme Valley to face Division Two side Ivybridge Town Reserves, and it was a worthwhile trip as they progressed into the quarter-finals with a two-nil victory thanks to goals from Finn Bullen. Bovey Tracey Reserves gave up home advantage to get a game played and travelled to near neighbours Ilsington Villa. Bovey will be delighted to put another game behind them in a catch-up season, but a 4-1 win for Villa, thanks to goals from Dan Langford and Jamie Beer, puts the Moorlanders into the next round and keeps their season bubbling away.

In the only league game played in Division One, due to start of the Dartmouth Cup, Barton Athletic moved to within two points of the leading pack with an eight-nil win over a Liverton United side that seem to be imploding. The result keeps the Blues on course for a possible return to the top division. In the division’s Dartmouth Cup, the big shock came at Long Lane where Watcombe Wanderers quickly got over losing their second team during the week by beating one of the favourites Mount Gould by two goals to nil. The visitors ended the game with nine players, following two red cards, and no doubt did not have a pleasant trip back down the A38. Paignton Villa took their good league form into the knockout competition with a comfortable six-nil win at Buckland Athletic Reserves. Charlie Thomas hit a hat-trick, with Seb Knight, Sam Omara and Soliman Yaha finding the back of the Homers Heath net. WBB travelled to Brixham Town for the second week running and went one better than last week when they came away with a three-nil victory to grab a place in the hat for the next round. Cam Gill and Jay Orchard were on target for Wattsies. Two SDFL teams came face to face in the county Senior Cup, and it was Elburton Villa Reserves who came out on top against Newton Abbot Spurs Thirds by two goals to nil to set up a semi-final against Bovey Tracey Reserves or Newton St Cyres at the end of March.

In Division Two, Babbacombe Corries just had the edge to hang on to second place in a league that seems to be a one horse race. A 4-2 win over fellow challengers Ashburton keeps Corries ten points behind Signal Box OV who had a free weekend. Drake FC, who are sitting in mid-table, could still play a part in the promotion race thanks to a seven-nil win at Upton Athletic. The visitors can move to within one point of Corries if they win their games in hand. The Paignton reserve derby game between Saints and Villa ended in a 2-2 draw and both teams sitting at the higher end of mid-table. Interestingly, Saints only have five fixtures remaining; I wonder how many teams would like to be in that position – I could name 20!! Newton Abbot ’66 Reserves progressed into the next round of the division’s knockout courtesy of Watcombe Wanderers Reserves’ withdrawal during the week, and Harbertonford will also be in the hat following a 2-1 victory at Newton Rovers.

At the top of Division Three, Galmpton United have moved six points clear of Kingskerswell, who were on cup duty, following a 3-1 win at a strong Liverton United reserve side. The goals were enough to keep the Greens in pole position, but ‘Kerswell have five games in hand to use to their advantage. Kingsteignton Athletic Seconds continue to be in good form, and their five-nil win over Ipplepen Athletic Reserves keeps the Rams in third place but eight points behind the runaway leaders.

In Division Four, it was first v third at White Rock, and Chudleigh Athletic Seconds ran out 5-1 winners against Paignton Villa Thirds to keep a six-point cushion over local rivals Teign Village, who also picked up maximum points with a 3-1 win over Barton Athletic Reserves. In the division’s knockout competition, Bere Alston United Reserves went through with a 5-3 victory over Brixham Town Seconds, and Kingsbridge and Kellaton United had a good day at the office with a two-nil win over Broadhempston United thanks to Alex Piper, who found the net twice. Waldon Athletic Thirds also scraped through with a 2-1 extra-time win versus Newton Rovers Seconds, and here is the other side of the fixture coin: Waldon Athletic Thirds are still unbeaten in the league but have 15 league games to squeeze in before the end of May, which is 12 playing Saturdays.

Games to catch on Saturday 14th March:

At the time of writing, Plymouth True Blues host East Allington United in a game that could change the look of the top three. Only two points separate the sides, and it will be worth a watch. Also in Plymouth, Windmill face Newton Abbot Spurs Reserves, and having lost at the Rec three weeks ago, they will be looking to get some points from them.

My games of the day are in Division One, where Bovey Tracey Reserves host Mount Gould at the Western Counties ground, and WBB travel to Elburton Villa Reserves. With both teams in good form, something has to give, and Paignton Villa face Barton Athletic in a game neither will want to lose. In Division Two, Ivybridge Town Reserves welcome Ashburton, who will be looking to get back to winning ways, and with both teams as outside contenders, it should be a cracker.

All fixtures are subject to change at the moment due to delayed cup games, so please check on the league’s Full-Time webpage before travelling.

Thank you for supporting grassroots football in South Devon.