Category: Herald Cup

newton abbot spurs reserves

Clubs think outside the box to get games played

TORBAY CLEARANCE SERVICES, SOUTH DEVON FOOTBALL LEAGUE. WEEKLY MATCH REPORTS 31st JAN, report by Alastair Muirden. Photo of Newton Abbot Spurs Reserves contributed by SDFL

Devon Premier Cup quarter-final

The last SDFL survivors in the county Premier Cup, Newton Abbot Spurs Seconds (pictured), made the trip to Step 7 club Alphington on Thursday evening to play the twice-postponed fixture on the 3g at Exwick, and in the end they just fell short. Goals from Matt Williams and Lewis Jordain-Garner were not enough against the team sitting at the top of the Devon League, and the Exeter side were able to find the net on five occasions leaving the final four teams in the competition all coming from Step 7, and all four could be playing at Step 6 SWPL next season. So well done to Spurs and Ilsington Villa from the Torbay Clearance Services League for reaching the quarter-finals.

Again. the weather spoiled the weekend’s grassroots program making play impossible on grass, and with only four games surviving this week’s storm, Windmill FC became the latest team to hire a 3g pitch to get a game played, and with Chudleigh Athletic the visitors to Ivybridge School, it pitched the two teams in the top division with the meanest defences having both conceded just 12 goals each so far this season. The game, as expected, turned out to be a tight and messy affair; it ended with a 2-1 win for the home team thanks to goals from Miles Hunt and Jack Briscoe, which takes them one point ahead of True Blues at the top of the Premier Division, and for the first time in the league’s history, Plymouth-based teams hold the top three places, as Lakeside Athletic came away from Coach Road with all three points in a very entertaining game versus Paignton Saints. The final result was 3-2, but Saints will be kicking themselves. Had it not been for their missed goalscoring chances, the outcome could have been very different. However, Lakeside can also claim a host of missed chances, but they will be pleased to get David Moore, who scored a brace, and JJ Honeywell back in goal-scoring form and completing a Plymouth one, two and three for the end of January. The only disappointment for the visitors would have been to finish the game with ten players courtesy of a last minute sin bin. Strangely enough, the biggest challengers to the top three currently sit in sixth, seventh and eight place with a number of games in hand, and if they could only get them played, the division should open up again.

In Division Two, Signal Box Oak Villa have opened up a seven point lead at the top albeit having played more games. A 5-3 victory at the Manadon 3g over close neighbours Ivybridge Town Reserves, thanks to goals from Callum Austin, Harley Mitchell, Bobby Stone and a brace for Finley Demsey Comerford, sees Villa extend their lead to realistically leave Corries and Ashburton as their main challengers at the moment.

In Division Four, Teign Village managed to keep the pressure on the leaders with a close 2-1 win versus Paignton Saints Thirds at South Devon College 3g (full report on Daves World). Goals from Alex Easson and Tom Beer sealed the points for the village team in a division that is looking like a two horse race depending on what unbeaten Waldon Athletic Thirds can do with their games in hand.

Games to hopefully catch on Saturday 7th February:

The Third Round of the Herald Cup, kindly sponsored by Torbay Clearance Services, has produced some belters as cup ties go.

There is a moorland derby at Mill Marsh Park (river levels permitting), where Premier Division Ilsington Villa play an in form Bovey Tracey Reserves from Division One. Division Three side Galmpton United host Premier Division side Windmill, who will need to be at their best to beat a team that are upwardly mobile. And then there are two virtual local derbies: Lakeside Athletic face a Buckfastleigh Rangers side with a large Cornish contingent, and Paignton Saints welcome Newton Abbot Spurs Reserves to their Coach Road ground in a fixture that will definitely go ahead. Harbertonford may have to switch their game to Elburton Villa to get it played. Having seen the amount of water on the pitch, I don’t think the RNLI will allow it to be played at the Steve Jane ground.

In the league’s Division Two, Ashburton travel to Ivybridge Town Reserves, and with both teams looking for promotion, it could be a great game.

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.

ilsington villa sdfl premier division 2025

South Devon’s groundstaff win the day over storm Goretti

TORBAY CLEARANCE SERVICES, SOUTH DEVON FOOTBALL LEAGUE. WEEKLY MATCH REPORTS 10th JAN, report by Alastair Muirden. Photo of Ilsington Villa contributed by SDFL

With just a handful of weather-related postponements, the South Devon Football League were able to not only catch up with the delayed Herald Cup fixtures, but also get some much needed league games played.

There were several massive results across the divisions, and we can start at East Allington United, who moved into third place with a comprehensive three-nil win against the league leaders, with goals from Finn Bullen and Finn Billingham which will get the home team over the disappointment of their previous week’s result; the result leaves True Blues still at the summit but with a game more in the bank. Chudleigh Athletic had yet another great result. A 3-1 home win over Paignton Saints, with goals from Kia Stocker and a double from Gavin Lake, lets them leapfrog Ilsington Villa (pictured) and create a seven point gap between themselves and any danger. Kingsteignton Athletic also had a very important victory in a six-pointer at the wrong end of the table; a 2-1 win over Totnes and Dartington lets the Rams join Chudleigh and Ilsington on that seven point gap. The result leaves the visitors joint bottom with Buckfastleigh Rangers, who were on Herald cup duty. Lakeside Athletic finally got a league game played; after four postponements and two cup games, the last time they played in the league was 1st November. But it was worth the wait. A much needed three points, with a close 3-2 win over the reigning champions Newton Abbot Spurs Reserves, with goals from Carlton Allen, Adam Carter and Taylor Owen, puts them not where they want to be but six points behind the second placed team with no games in hand over them.

Two Premier Division teams played in the Herald Cup over lower league opposition, and whilst the results went to form, both teams took a different route. Ilsington Villa put 14 goals past Division Two side Newton Rovers, who never gave up at Bakers Park; Dan Langford was the star of the show with six goals on the day, and there were hat-tricks for brother Jack and James Kervella.

In the A38 derby game at Division Three outfit South Brent, a shock was, at several times, on the cards, but Buckfastleigh Rangers dug in and took the game to extra time after it ended 3-3. Fortunately, the visitors did not need a penalty shootout, as new signing Dylan Rangecroft popped up with a fine strike to give Buckfastleigh their first taste of victory since 18th October and a place in the hat for Round Three, which will be drawn on Monday 19th January.

Nerves must be setting in at the top of Division One with the strangest set of results in one day that I can remember. There are now eight teams that are in the mix for promotion after this week’s results. Barton Athletic put in a shift at Mount Gould, and a 1-1 draw was no less than they deserved, and to come away from Plymouth with points is a feat that not many will achieve. The result leaves the Torquay side eight points off the lead with two games in hand, and who would bet against them? Beesands Rovers came from behind twice to move joint top with a hard fought 3-2 win at Brixham Town, with goals from Joe Craig (2) and Jack Hopkiss. Beesands have now reached the halfway point with fixtures, and Town have now lost two on the bounce, but both are just one point short of Paignton Villa who drew 1-1 with Bovey Tracey Reserves at South Devon College in a game where the draw seemed to be a fair result and keeps Villa top of the division by just one point. The two teams that benefited the most from this week’s results were WBB (postponed) and Elburton Villa Reserves (cup duty); they remain eight points behind Villa in seventh place with four games in hand, in a very competitive competition.

The final Division One team in action was Buckland Athletic Reserves who hosted Galmpton United from Division Three, and it turned out to be a great game of football in front of a good attendance, and the underdogs from Galmpton had a great result by winning by four goals to one, which keeps their good restart to life in the SDFL on track.

In Division Two, Signal Box Oak Villa remain on track for their next station stop (Div 1) after a comfortable afternoon at Armada Park with a 9-1 win over Upton Athletic who will be glad to see the last of the Plymouth outfit having lost twice to them in the last month, and hopefully they can pick up some points from here on in. Babbacombe Corries’ unbeaten record is still intact, but they dropped a couple of points in their 2-2 draw with Paignton Villa Seconds; Alex Chamberlain and Joshua Easterbrook were on target for Corries who remain in second place, four points behind the leaders but with a game in hand. Drake FC also lost some ground on the leading pack, as they were held to a 3-3 draw at home against East Allington United Seconds, and both teams are now in mid-table. Drake’s two games in hand are now just a bit more valuable, but they have to win them first.

In the Herald Cup, Division Two side Ashburton made short work of Bere Alston United from Division Four with a four-nil win, and a big shout out to Watcombe Wanderers Seconds who nearly folded in December but managed to not only get a team on the pitch, they managed to beat in form Chudleigh Athletic Seconds in the Fred Hewings Cup; Jordan Peircy and Will Godfrey were on target with club legend Sean Finch helping out with a hat-trick.

Just the one league game in Division Three, and Liverton United Seconds won 8-1 versus Waldon Athletic Seconds thanks to goals from Kye Graham, Tom Roddy, Oliver West, George Stahlman, Steve Reilly and Harvey Kendall. The result leaves Livvy safe in mid-table and the Clarets joint bottom with Ipplepen Athletic Reserves and T&D Seconds. Interestingly, Stoke Gabriel TP Reserves are fourth from bottom with five games in hand, and if they won them, they would be a top three team.

At the top of Division Four, Teign Village moved within three points of the leaders Chudleigh Athletic with a six-nil victory over Paignton Saints Thirds; they also have a game in hand. Paignton Villa Thirds remain well-placed, and a 4-2 win at Broadhempston United puts them into fourth place and completes half of their fixtures for the season.

Two of the division’s sides were in cup action, and Kingsbridge and Kellaton United could not match Division Two side Ivybridge Town Reserves in the Herald Cup and had to endure a seven-nil defeat at Loddiswell, whilst Barton Athletic Seconds caused a shock by knocking out Division Two side Buckfastleigh Rangers Seconds by five goals to two to give the club a good weekend of results.

Games to catch on Saturday 17th January:

There are three very interesting games that could shape the look of the division for January. In-form Chudleigh Athletic face a Lakeside Athletic team at Kate Brook with both teams desperate for a clean January. East Allington United are also looking for a bit more consistency but have, out of the blue, set up a third v second game at Poole Lane; a result against Windmill could set them up for the second half of the program. In Division One, there is a promotion six-pointer at JC park, where Brixham Town face Barton Athletic in what should be a great game. Division Two offers some watchable games with Ashburton paying a visit to Watcombe Wanderers Seconds, and the visitors will be hoping for a repeat of the home tie which ended 24-nil, but the Greens will be out for revenge and to show how far they have come since October. Ivybridge Town will not have their own way when Paignton Villa Seconds travel to Erme Valley looking to bring some points home, and in Division Three, there is a local derby at Broadpark where Kingsteignton Athletic Seconds host Newton Abbot ’66 Seconds, and with both teams on the cusp of a position challenge, this could be a cracker, and finally, in Division Four, unbeaten Waldon Athletic Thirds take their record to Bere Alston United, and the only thing they will be hoping to lose is their jet lag on route.

Enjoy your grassroots football.

Saints and Broads serve up a Christmas feast on fair play Friday

TORBAY CLEARANCE SERVICES, SOUTH DEVON FOOTBALL LEAGUE. WEEKLY MATCH REPORTS 20th DEC, report by Alastair Muirden. Photo of Watts Blake Bearne contributed by SDFL

Was this really a game between two of the bottom three teams in Division Four? The pace and quality of the play had many of the 100 plus supporters scratching their heads for answers.

It took just two minutes for Saints to get the opening goal from Keiron Seatherton who went on to get the Man of the Match award, but they could only hold on to that lead for nine minutes until the other contender for Man of the Match, Dan Wells, equalised with a goal that would grace any fixture in any division. Saints were under a lot of pressure, and their full-backs were not up to speed with Broads’ Ben Muller, and just four minutes after, they drew level; Muller ran past three defenders and pulled the ball back to the edge of the box, where Dan Wells side-footed a curling shot into the top right-hand corner, and both sets of supporters could do nothing else but applaud the finish. With just 12 minutes on the clock, and the score already at 2-1, it was turning into a great game. With play end-to-end and and two more Saints goals from Keiron Seatherton and Darren Millea and, in first-half stoppage time, yet another equaliser from Stuart Hanney sent the supporters for a welcome hot chocolate, and at 3-3, all the talk in the clubhouse was about the quality of the goals, and it had the writer checking to see if his pre-match prediction of 6-6 was actually on his super six selection.

The dynamic of the game seem to change in the second half as Saints were clearly more used to playing on a 3g pitch, and the legs of the Broads players seemed to be getting heavy, and one or two challenges were either too early or too late depending on your speed. but the referee kept good control and did not need to show any cards to either of the two best teams on the discipline charts. Then came a managerial masterclass from Saints when Dylan Cousins was introduced from the bench and he not only upped the pace of the game for Saints, but went on to score two great goals to seal the win 5-3 for the home team in what was a night to remember for both outfits. The result puts Saints one of three teams on nine points, and whilst still third from bottom, they are the second highest goal scorers in the division. At the other end, they are the league’s highest conceders of goals having let in 58 which is 22 more than Broadhempston United who remain second from bottom, two points behind Saints but with four games in hand. Just one other stat is that Saints only have eight league games remaining to finish the season.

The only other league game played was in Division One where Watts Blake Bearne (pictured) climbed onto the top of the table for Christmas with a well-earned 4-nil win at Bovey Tracey Reserves; Jake Cuff, Cam Gill, Ashton Sowerby and Fraser Hossack were all on target for the Claymen who were good value for the win. Bovey lost their goalkeeper in the 51st minute with a red card following a moment of madness which gave them a mountain to climb. Bovey remain in fifth place. seven points off the lead but with three games in hand, and Wattsies leapfrog Brixham Town and Paignton Villa to lead the division by one point going into the Christmas break. This remains a very competitive division with eight teams still in the mix to gain promotion to the Premier Division

The second round of the Herald Cup has thrown up some great ties that will be fixtured for 3rd January with a 2pm kick off.

  • Newton Rovers (Div 2) v Ilsington Villa (Premier)
  • Ashburton (Div 2) v Bere Alston United (Div 4)
  • Paignton Saints (Premier) v Babbacombe Corries (Div 2)
  • WBB (Div 1) v Signal Box Oak Villa (Div 2)
  • Bovey Tracey Reserves (Div 1) v Paignton Villa (Div 1)
  • Kingsteignton Athletic (Premier) v East Allington United (Premier)
  • Buckland Athletic Reserves (Div 1) v Galmpton United (Div 3)
  • Kingsbridge/Kellaton (Div 4) v Ivybridge Town Reserves (Div 2)
  • Newton Abbot ’66 (Premier) v Chudleigh Athletic (Premier)
  • Broadhempston United (Div 4) v Windmill (Premier)
  • Barton Athletic (Div 1) v Lakeside Athletic (Premier)
  • Newton Abbot Spurs Reserves (Premier) v Teign Village (Div 4)
  • Ipplepen Athletic Reserves (Div 3) v Upton Athletic (Div 2)
  • Plymouth True Blues (Premier) v Stoke Gabriel TP (Div 3)
  • Harbertonford (Div 2) v Elburton Villa Reserves (Div 1)
  • South Brent (Div 3) v Buckfastleigh Rangers (Premier)

Enjoy your grassroots cup football.

kingsteignton athletic herald cup winners 2023

Penalty Drama in Both Semi-Finals as Clarets and Rams Make Herald Cup Final

TORBAY CLEARANCE SERVICES, SOUTH DEVON FOOTBALL LEAGUE. HERALD CUP SPECIAL REPORT, by Alastair Muirden. Photo: Kingsteignton celebrating their 2023 Herald Cup win ©Al Macphee/MiraclePR

Tuesday 22nd April: Herald Cup Semi Final – Bovey Tracey 2nds v Kingsteignton Athletic

I think it is fair to say that this anticipated semi-final failed to deliver what was hoped for by both sets of supporters, and as the weather deteriorated just as fast as the missed chances in front of goal, you could probably not got a bet on a nil-nil draw. The first half was a fairly even contest and the divisional difference was hard to see; the second half belonged to the Division One side, and I am sure a few of the Bovey players will have had a sleepness night thinking about those missed chances; in total, I counted nine good scoring opportunities for the Moorlanders and a missed penalty kick. At the other end, Kingsteignton’s first real chance was not until the 92nd minute, and whilst keeping Bovey pegged back, they had a shot cleared off the line a minute later. Extra-time came and went, unlike the biblical rain which affected everybody, and in the penalty shootout, the Rams were the first team to miss and Bovey, having scored their first four, just needed to score the fifth to reach the final; good save by Ellis Rattue; Kings scored next meaning that Bovey were now chasing the game; another good save by the ‘keeper and Kingsteignton Athletic are into another Herald Cup Final

Wednesday 23rd April: Herald Cup Semi Final – Waldon Athletic v East Allington United

If the first semi-final failed to deliver, then this one surely kept the crowd glued to the pitch fencing: six goals, a ‘keeper carried off, a red card, a last minute penalty miss, extra-time followed by yet another penalty shoot out and after all of that, Waldon Athletic have made it through to only their third Herald Cup Final which will be played on Friday 2nd May at Newton Rec with a 7pm KO.

This was a game of two halves and a bit more. When East Allington United sailed into a 2-nil first half lead, with goals from Fin Bullen and Martin Finnerton, the supporters from the South Hams must have been checking their diaries for cup final night plans. But Waldon were doing what Waldon are good at, and they were slowly but surely getting back into the game and when Ashley Grimes pulled one back just before the break, it was definitely game on.

The first big talking point came early in the second half when Fin Bullen challenged the Waldon ‘keeper for a ball for which the referee judged as reckless and reduced East Allington to ten players; as a result of the challenge, the Waldon ‘keeper, Joe Whitehead, had to be replaced and Kyle Doughty volunteered to put on the number one shirt. Ater a lengthy stoppage, Waldon restarted the game and were in control, but they had to wait 20 minutes for Cole Feasby to be in the right place at the right time and he levelled the score. This seemed to give a second wind to the South Hams side who must have thought it’s now or never, and they came back into the game which made for great viewing. Next big talking point in the 88th minute: what appeared to some to be a 50 – 50 challenge were not the thoughts of the referee who did not hesitate in pointing to the spot in East Allington’s favour; up steps Josh Pascoe to put Allington into the final only for stand-in keeper Kyle Doughty to palm the ball onto the crossbar to send the game into extra-time. The extra period continued in the end-to-end play, and East Allington had settled back into playing with ten players and Waldon kept plugging away knowing it would take something special to break the deadlock, and in the tenth minute of extra time, the ball fell nicely for Cole Feasby some 20 yards from goal, and he hit a shot that flew past the Allington ‘keeper and it looked like game over, but with just two minutes left on the clock, Dan Joyce had the ball on the edge of the Waldon penalty box and they had all 11 players defending; he decided to take a speculative shot which seemed to bounce off two defenders and somehow found its way into the corner of the goal, and by the time they restarted, the referee blew for full-time and we had a second penalty shootout. East Allington’s Fred Massey was the only kick-taker to score and Waldon scored all four to put an end to a pulsating cup semi final.

Herald Cup Final 2025

Kingsteignton Athletic versus Waldon Athleic.

Newton Abbot Recreational Trust on Friday 2nd May, 7pm KO

This competition is kindly sponsored by Torbay Clearance Services

kingsteignton athletic herald cup semi finalists 2025

Spurs Stay on Course for the Double

TORBAY CLEARANCE SERVICES, SOUTH DEVON FOOTBALL LEAGUE. WEEKLY MATCH REPORTS 29th MARCH, report by Alastair Muirden. Photo of Kingsteignton Athletic, who drew 4-4 with East Allington this week, contributed by SDFL

The game of the day in the Premier Division George Belli Cup went the distance in the favour of Newton Abbot Spurs Reserves who edged out the current champions Ilsington Villa in a pulsating cup tie that needed extra time; 3 – 1 was the final score with goals from Jack Upshire, Luis Green and Lewis Jordain-Garner seeing Spurs into their first cup final since joining the league following a stint in the football pyramid. They will be joined in the final by Totnes and Dartington who, on the day, were too good for a weakened Paignton Saints side who made hard work of their afternoon. A 2 – 1 victory, thanks to goals from Ryan Walton and James Blackshaw, was more than enough to put Tots in the top division cup final on the 15th May, also for the first time since rejoining the competition from the football pyramid.

In the Premier Division, with two of the top three on cup duty, Newton Abbot ’66 had the chance to close the gap to just 3 points at home to bottom side Beesands Rovers but they got well and truly stung by the Bees: a 3 – 1 win for the South Hams team moves them off the bottom and gives them real hope of a great escape; strikes from Alfie Prowse, Jack Eades and Alex Smith has put a dent in the ambitions of ’66 and, following this latest defeat, Ilsington Villa only need one more victory to make sure that Sixes cannot catch them. In the other relegation fixture, Chudleigh Athletic and Elburton Villa Seconds shared 6 goals in a very entertaining game where a draw was a fair result, but not one either team wanted, and leaves them both teetering with Division One next season. East Allington United and Kingsteignton Athletic also ended with four goals being shared, and with a point apiece, both would probably be happy with a mid-table berth knowing that anybody can beat anybody in this division. I also would like to give a shout out to Finn Bullen of East Allington United who scored his 137th goal this week in 133 appearances for the Pirates; well done Finn. The final shock result in the Prem was at Windmill Hill where ambitious Waldon Athletic lost 2-nil to Buckfastleigh Rangers who themselves could finish in the top three. The Clarets are now 9 points from fifth place and, whilst they have a few games in hand, they desperately need to find some form.

Two Division One teams served up a classic at Bovey Tracey Reserves where the home team prevented the last standing Plymouth-based team from reaching the jewel in the SDFL cup program. A 3-2 win over promotion rivals Windmill is a great result, and goals from Ben Moyle, Ryan Stanbridge and Ben Goble sets up a Herald Cup semi-final against Kingsteignton Athletic on Tuesday 22nd April at Newton Rec with a 7pm kick off.

Plymouth Phoenix continue to be unbeaten and they crushed Buckland Athletic Reserves 11-3 thanks to a double hat-trick by David Moore who set them on their way to their first Dartmouth Cup semi-final since joining the South Devon League from the Plymouth and District competition; they will meet the winners of the Bovey Tracey Reserves v Paignton Villa game that gets played this weekend.

In the league, True Blues continue to be unbeaten after their 7 – 2 home win against a Watcombe Wanderers team who must be looking at the league position and asking how did that happen: they are level on points with Newton Abbot Spurs Thirds, third from bottom, and Paignton Villa together with Brixham Town could pulled back into this relegation scrap, and Villa only have two games to play against six for the other two. WBB have recovered well after their disbanding scare, and they continue to win the games against the teams around them; this week was a character-building exercise having been 2-nil down at the break to Newton Spurs Thirds, who went ahead thanks to Jack Taylor and Domanic Osbourne, Wattsies fought back with three second half goals to take the points and move safely into mid table.

The top of the table game in Division Two drew a big support and ended in a complete reverse of the scoreline when the teams clashed just seven days earlier; this week, it was the turn of Barton Athletic to inflict only the second loss of the season for Mount Gould in a 4-nil win that continues to make this division as open as it has been all season; goals from Zach Norton, Liam Walton, Dom Lavalee and an own goal takes the Torquay side 18 points clear at the top and reduces Mount Gould’s games in hand to nine. Buckfastleigh Rangers Seconds had a great result in upsetting promotion contenders East Allington United Seconds by 3 goals to 1; Matt Maller, John Bovey and Isaac Potter were on target for the Rangers who won for only the second time this season, and with only four games to play, they will need to continue the same form to avoid the drop. Elsewhere, second from bottom club Ipplepen Athletic Reserves picked up their third win of the season at Bakers Park in a 4-2 win against Newton Rovers. The win brings them within touching distance of Upton Athletic who did not play. The situation at the top of this division is getting clearer by the week, but it is still between five or six teams: Barton Athletic, Mount Gould, Liverton, Watcombe Seconds and East Allington Seconds could all still finish top, but 2nd and 3rd placed Paignton Villa Reserves and Babbacombe Corries are running out of games with only 4 to play, so it looks like this competition will go to the end of May. In the division’s league cup semi-finals, Liverton United and Paignton Villa Seconds ended in a 2-2 draw and it was Liverton that held their nerve in the penalty shoot-out to progress to the Lidstone Cup final on Friday 25th April where they will meet Watcombe Wanderers Reserves who won 2-nil at Long Lane against Babbacombe Corries.

In Division Three, Drake FC took advantage of leaders Ashburton being on cup duty by leapfrogging them into pole position by beating a good Kingsteignton Athletic Reserves side by 3 goals to 1; Ben Ayre, Louis George and Kacper Gorecki were the points winners at Broadpark. Stoke Gabriel TP moved into 3rd place with a 10-3 demolition at Brixham Town Seconds who will be looking forward to a better season in Division Four; Daniel Tresize (3), Max Prestwood (4) and Adam Blackburn (3) did the damage at JC Park. Elburton Villa Thirds, who could also win this division, continue to be upwardly mobile; a 7-nil thrashing over a decent Liverton United Reserves side, who must have had their minds on an upcoming cup final, keeps Villa in fourth place with six games to play. Two teams in mid-table met at Windmill Hill where Waldon Athletic Seconds and Totnes and Dartington Seconds shared four goals and the points that keeps them both in the safety zone.

With Division Four almost done and dusted, thoughts turned to the Les Bishop league cup semi-finals that were closer than the form book predicted; Paignton Villa Thirds took Kingskerswell all the way in a pulsating game that ‘Kerswell just edged by 3 goals to 2 to reach the final on Thursday 17th April where they will clash with Templer Way who edged out Chudleigh Athletic Reserves by 5 goals to 4 in a game that went to extra-time; and Chudleigh had to play out the game with ten players. It is a credit to both of the finalists who have a different story to tell from making the step from Sunday morning football to disbanding to reforming and most importantly enjoying playing football again; well done to both team.

Games to catch on Saturday 5th April.

As you would expect at this part of the season, there are games to catch that would appear to have more riding on them, but at the end of the day its just another 3 points towards the team objective to win.

My pick of the games this week is at Broadpark where a Kingsteignton Athletic side will be licking their wounds and looking forward to stopping Newton Abbot Spurs Reserves surging towards the top of the table. There is also a tasty local derby at the Millennium Pitches where Windmill come up against an unbeaten True Blues team in the Dartmouth Cup; this is one of two chances for the Rangers boys to get their hands on silverware in their first season in the Torbay Clearance Services League. In Division Two, Liverton United meet East Allington Seconds at Halford in a fixture where both are in the mix for promotion and defeat for either could confirm another season in the same division. And in Division Four, Kingskerswell play their final league game at home to Newton Rovers Seconds where a win for the home team will secure a 100% record in their first season back in the South Devon Football League.

Cup Finals are on the horizon and the first is on Friday 11th April at Newton Rec with a 7pm kick off. Liverton Utd Seconds meet East Allington Utd Seconds in the Fred Hewings Cup. There is limited parking on site, but a full bar and food service will be available.

The following week, we have two fantastic games to offer: first up on Tuesday 15th April, again at Newton Rec, is Herald Cup semi-final number 1. Waldon Athletic versus East Allington United will kick off at 7pm; further details to follow in next week’s issue.

This is followed by the Les Bishop Final on Thursday 17th April; what a way to start your Easter weekend: Templer Way versus Kingskerswell with details to follow next week.

Enjoy your grassroots football.

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.

newton abbot 66 herald cup winners 2024

Sixes Lift Herald Cup for First Time in 24 Years

TORBAY CLEARANCE SERVICES, SOUTH DEVON FOOTBALL LEAGUE. WEEKLY MATCH REPORTS 11th MAY, report by Alastair Muirden

As the midweek games ramp up for most clubs, and some are having to play twice as well as Saturday to get their season complete, squads of players are sure to be used which can affect outcomes both positively and negatively.

In Division One Newton Abbot Spurs Reserves continue to turn their games in hand into points. A 10 -2 win versus Babbacombe Corries moves them into fourth place, 7 points behind with 3 games in hand; Kye Drinkwater, Joe Bushin and Jack Upshire got two goals each and there were singles from Ross Beer, Aiden Blackie, Callum Noyce and Jason Jones. The result also leaves Corries perilously close to the drop.

In Division Three Watcombe Wanderers Seconds had a great result at in form Totnes and Dartington Seconds; a 4 – 1 win puts them 9 points clear with 4 games to play, and depending on results this weekend, they could clinch the title next week. Casey Cooper, Keiron Dale, Jamie Smith and Kye Graham were on target for the Greens.

Wednesday night in the Premier Division focused on the relegation battle. Chudleigh Athletic’s 3 – 1 win versus WBB guarantees the Clarets Premier Division football next season and confirms that both Brixham AFC Reserves and WBB will be playing in Division One next season. Brixham, who have a very young team, will no doubt benefit from winning more games next season and will no doubt return to the Premier Division as some at the club are keen on pyramid football for the reserves as the first team consolidate at step 5; as for WBB, it has been a nightmare season for manager Andy Moore who has worked miracles just to put a team out, and I am sure that once he takes a break and presses the reset button, they will be a force in a tough Division One.

Buckfastleigh Rangers moved into second place with just 2 games to play. A 2 – 1 win over Waldon Athletic means that 1 of 3 teams could clinch the runners-up spot which will go to the wire.

And now on to the big game of the week and the flagship fixture for the South Devon Football League calendar. The Herald Cup Final was played on Friday evening at Stoke Gabriel TP where the volunteers at the host club certainly know how to put on a show, and the 300 plus spectators and the teams and their officials were well looked after.

Newton Abbot ’66 went into the game as underdogs; a poor run of form in their league fixtures has caused them to be in the bottom half of the Premier Division. Whilst most teams have players out with injuries at this time of the season, ’66 seem to have suffered more than most, and it did not go unnoticed that long-serving ’66 player Marc Graham was named as a sub; for those of you who do not know Marc, in age years he is north of 49 and south of 51, but what an achievement to be good enough to be part of the team on the biggest game in the season. For Ilsington Villa, they came into the game full of confidence; only last Saturday they were crowned Premier League champions for the first time in their history having only been beaten once this term and have already got the better of their opponents tonight by 4-nil and 3-nil.

With 8 of the top 18 goalscorers in the Premier Division playing in this final, the stage was set for a goal-fest; the truth of the matter was that Newton Abbot ’66 did not read the script and the homework and tactics that were put into place by Ian and Kurt certainly played a part in the outcome. The game itself was by no means a classic but there were lots of thrilling moments at both ends although none were on target. It was noticeable that ’66 must have felt that the main threat was going to be Jack Langford so they put a man on him for the whole game, and he was simply not given any time on the few occasions that he got the ball. The first main talking point on the sidelines was when Ilsington Villa had to replace their goalkeeper Tom Watson through injury, and despite having a substitute ‘keeper named on the team sheet, they replaced him with top scorer Daniel Langford; you could see the disbelief and delight from the ’66 bench. It was not until the 67th minute that the breakthrough came but it was well worth the wait: an innocuous cross from Ashley Dove fell a bit short for the only ’66 forward in the penalty box and he was surrounded by 4 defenders, but as it was short, it allowed Tom Lowe to chest it away from the defenders and volley the ball into the top of the net to send the team into the corner to celebrate and the travelling ’66ers up on the patio to possibly spill their drinks during the celebration.

Within 20 seconds of the restart, Ilsington Villa had their best chance of the game when Jamie Beer really should have equalised, but Jack Callum in the ’66 goal made him shoot wide. In the last 20 minutes there were 7 substitutions made in an attempt to freshen things up for Villa and to slow things down for ’66, and for a team that have been here many times before and are becoming experts at closing down cup games when they are one goal in front, ’66 knew what they had to do against all odds to win the Herald Cup for the first time in 24 years, and I am told the celebrations continued until 4am. Big congratulations to Newton Abbot ’66.

Final score. Newton Abbot ’66 1 – 0 Ilsington Villa.

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The Newton ’66 skipper lifts the Herald Cup presented by Torbay Clearance Services
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Sixes celebrate their victory
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Goalscorere and Man of the Match Tom Lowe with sponsors Torbay Clearance Services

With the Premier Division title wrapped up, the race for the runners-up spot will go to the wire for 4 teams: Kingsteignton Athletic, who lost out to a resurgent Beesands Rovers by 3 goals to 1 but remain third; Buckfastleigh Rangers, who won 2 – 1 at home to Chudleigh Athletic, thanks to a brace from Steve Sutton, and remain in second place; Morley Rangers, who still have 4 games to fit in and remain fourth, although they have not played for a few weeks, and Elburton Villa who are in top form with enough games in hand to nick second place; they had the stand out result of the week in the league by winning at WBB by 11 goals to 6; I wonder if both teams forgot to take a ‘keeper!! So to sum up this division, Ilsington Villa are champions, second place will be Kingsteignton Athletic / Buckfastleigh Rangers / Morley Rangers or Elburton Villa. The 2 relegated teams are WBB and Brixham AFC Reserves.

Division One is also going to the wire. Paignton Saints returned to pole position with a 9-nil win at Harbertonford. In the big game between the top two, Totnes and Dartington and Ivybridge Town Reserves shared the points in a thrilling 2 – 2 draw; the Ivies were 2-nil up at one point but let the visitors back into the game, a result which helps Newton Abbot Spurs Reserves who seem to be using all playing resources available to them as they continue to chip away at those games in hand. Callum Noyce, who is one of the top goalscorers in the football pyramid at step 6 and banged in 4 goals to add to the 3 he scored last week, has certainly helped their cause and leaves them 6 points behind with 3 games in hand but in fourth place. On the 23rd May, Ivybridge Town visit Newton Abbot Spurs in a game that will decide who goes up. At the bottom, Buckfastleigh Rangers Seconds are already relegated and will be joined by Babbacombe Corries, who have 2 games to play, or Upton Athletic, who have finished their fixtures and will be watching Corries’ results to see if they can get the 1 point needed to survive the drop.

Division Two is almost complete with Bovey Tracey Reserves as champions and Newton Abbot Spurs Thirds runners up. Spurs cannot be promoted unless their Seconds win promotion out of Division One which they wont know for 2 weeks; Paignton Saints Reserves will finish a disappointing third but will be hoping Spurs Seconds in Division One slip up. At the bottom, Brixham Town Seconds will return to Division Three after volunteering to fill a vacancy last season and will be joined by Waldon Athletic Seconds unless Ipplepen Athletic Reserves concede more than 15 goals in their last 2 games in which case they will accompany Brixham Town into Division Three.

The promotion race in Division Three is now between 3 teams; Watcombe Wanderers Reserves, who won the Devon Intermediete Cup this week by beating Railway FC from Exeter by 3 goals to 2, remain at the top and need 4 points from 4 games to clinch the title. Should they not get the required number of points then Liverton United or Ashburton could win the division. South Brent are also in the race for second place but don’t have enough games for the points needed to top the division. At the bottom, Kingsbridge and Kellaton United will have a better season in Division Four and will be joined by either Paignton Saints Thirds or Teign Village who need 3 points from 2 remaining games to stay in this division and condemn Saints to Division Four. Unfortunately for them, they have Watcombe and Ashburton to play.

Division Four has also been a great competition this season and the top spot could go either to Liverton Utd Seconds or Elburton Villa Thirds; both had good wins on Saturday; Liverton won 4 – 1 at Kingsteignton Athletic Reserves who themselves have had a great season and will get a top 4 place; Villa, who won 5 – 1 at Newton Rovers Reserves, remain in second place 7 points behind with 3 games in hand, so they will need to win them all. Drake FC have also had a great season in their first venture into adult football; whilst they did not play on Saturday, they need 6 points from 3 remaining games to secure third place in what has been a very competitive competition.

Game to catch this week: Friday 17th May, with a 6.30pm kick off. The George Belli Cup Final at Foxhole Ground, Totnes and Dartington. This is the Premier Division league cup and features the in form team in the premier division, Elburton Villa, who will be looking to win their first silverware since joining the league three years ago, and Newton Abbot ’66, who will be hoping to add the Belli Cup to the Herald Cup which will allow Geeman to buy another shelf – all shelf-installers are asked to contact the club directly!!

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Ilsington Villa Win Premier League while May Day Derby Victory Sees Sixes Make Back to Back Herald Cup Finals

Double in their sights: Ilsington Villa have won their first ever Premier League title – but can they overcome Newton ’66 in Friday night’s Herald Cup final? Photo contributed by SDFL.

TORBAY CLEARANCE SERVICES, SOUTH DEVON FOOTBALL LEAGUE. WEEKLY MATCH REPORTS 4th MAY, report by Alastair Muirden

The weather continued to play its part in this season’s South Devon League football fixtures with waterlogged pitches on Tuesday reported at Ashburton and South Brent causing the Fixtures Secretary to count the days left in May.

In the games that were played, Totnes and Dartington continue to surprise; a 2-nil home win versus Paignton Saints puts them into second place in Division One, and on this form they may be joining their opponents in the Premier Division next season. Also in this division, Buckland Athletic Reserves and Paignton Villa met in a pre-run of this season’s Dartmouth Cup final at Homers Heath. On this occasion, the home team won with a single strike from Charlie Shearer 10 minutes from the end.

At the top of Division Two, with Bovey Tracey Reserves already crowned champions, the race for second place will go down to the last game of the season. Both Newton Abbot Spurs Thirds and Paignton Saints Seconds won their penultimate games; Spurs scored 7 goals at relegated Brixham Town Seconds, and Saints scored 3 against Newton Rovers. Spurs have a 2 point advantage so will bag the second spot if they win their last game of the season at home to Waldon Athletic Seconds. But a reminder that promotion for the Thirds is dependant on their second team also getting promoted as two teams from the same club cannot play in the same division. No pressure for Spurs Seconds then!!

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Fading light after the Herald Cup semi-final derby between Newton ’66 and Newton Spurs Reserves went into extra-time. Photo contributed by SDFL.

Wednesday evening produced the biggest talking point of the week when the Torbay Clearance Services Herald Cup semi-final went to extra-time and, due to the fading light, could not have gone on any longer. The referee, who had a busy night on the pitch, deserves a lot of praise for managing to get the game completed in a safe manner. This was not a classic cup game by any stretch of the imagination, but it is one that will be remembered by the 200 plus people that were there. Spurs were the better team for large parts of the game and when Joe Bushin put them in front on 33 minutes, it did look as if the Division One outfit were heading for the final. But ’66 have been here many times before, and they just dug in and made it difficult for Spurs to get a second and seal the tie. Then a big tackle on the edge of the box by Joe Bushin was not to the referee’s liking and he saw yellow for the second time in the game, and Spurs had not only lost their captain but their talisman; this lifted ’66, but it took them until the 75th minute to find a breakthrough with a fine strike from Ashley Dove. With extra-time looming, Spurs seemed to get their second wind and again were the team more likely to win it, but then a moment of madness and spurs found themselves down to 9 players and going into extra-time. Rather than go straight into extra-time to beat the light, the Spurs team disappeared into the changing room for a break, but the referee was having none of it; he blew his whistle to get them back out and get extra-time underway. In fact, it only took ’66 five minutes to score through Stijn Brussen, and now all they had to do was hold on to the lead and hope the light held out. Even in the second half of extra time, Spurs were the better team for large parts but in the end, ’66 did hold on as did the light – just.

Newton Abbot ’66 now progress to their second final in two years to meet fellow Premier Division side Ilsington Villa on Friday 10th May under the lights at Stoke Gabriel, and Newton Abbot Spurs have a county cup final to look forward to and 8 more league games to play, and if they win all 8, they will be crowned Division One champions or 6 wins may be enough to get promoted to the Premier League.

Also on Wednesday, in the Premier League, Brixham AFC Reserves remain in a relegation place despite beating Waldon Athletic 2 – 1. A Dalton Sanders double brought home 3 points that will worry both Chudleigh and East Allington who, despite the later winning 7 – 1 at WBB, remain only 5 points clear with Brixham having only 2 games left to play.

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Bovey Tracey Reserves captain Ryan Stanbridge gets presented the Lidstone cup by sponsors Bettesworth. Photo contributed by SDFL.

On Friday evening, it was the turn of Bovey Tracey Seconds and Paignton Saints Seconds to compete for the Division Two Lidstone Cup. Once again, Liverton United was the venue as the South Devon League committee continue to support member clubs in giving them an end of season boost to their finances. The game was an absolute credit to the strength of competition in Division Two of the Torbay Clearance Services League. It was end-to-end action for 90 minutes and played in a very good spirit, and the referee only had to intervene on a couple of occasions; Saints took a first half lead through Jason Dingley on the half hour, and it was not until the 75th minute when Bovey could finally find an equaliser thanks to Matt Churchill who was in the right place at the right time. Extra-time came and went with a number of stoppages for cramp, and it was down to the dreaded penalty shootout; there is normally only ever one hero in a shootout: it’s either the last scorer or the ‘keeper. That honour this time goes to the Bovey ‘keeper Jack Smith who saved the last 2 Saints spot-kicks to give Bovey Tracey the league and cup double and complete what has been an amazing season.

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Bovey ‘keeper Jack Smith saved two spot-kicks. Photo contributed by SDFL.

Ilsington Villa have been crowned Torbay Clearance Services South Devon Premier League champions for the first time in the league’s long history. A 4-nil home win against Beesands Rovers, thanks to a Daniel Langford hat-trick and a single from Jamie Beer, did the trick and considering they only finished third in Division One last season, is testament to the whole team at the village club as to just how much progress has been made in the past 12 months. A big well done to Tony Lacey and his team of volunteers for what they have achieved this season. As it transpired, they would not have needed to win as Kingsteignton Athletic surprisingly slipped up to Brixham AFC Reserves who beat them 5 – 1 and if they had shown their current form earlier in the season, who knows where they would have finished.

Division One continues to produce shocks and spills and now has new leaders in Totnes and Dartington thanks to a hard fought 3 – 1 win at Watcombe Wanderers, but the standout result in the division was the 7 – 1 demolition by Newton Abbot Spurs Reserves on Paignton Saints; this not only knocked Saints off top place but puts the Herald Cup disappointment to bed. It leaves Spurs with 7 games still to play, and they can afford 1 defeat and still win the league. Saints, Ivybridge Town Reserves and Totnes and Dartington must win their remaining games, and on 23rd May, Spurs host Ivybridge.

The Division Two runners-up spot was secured by Newton Abbot Spurs Thirds with their final game of the campaign. A 4 – 2 home win against Waldon Athletic Seconds who ended the game with 8 players thanks to 3 red cards. Deven Webb and Owen Green were on target for Spurs who must now wait for their second team to secure promotion for them to be playing in Division One next season. Paignton Saints Seconds need 4 points from 2 games to guarantee third place and a possible promotion berth should it not happen for Spurs.

The Division Three title race looks like it’s going to the wire with 5 teams still in the race for silverware. Watcombe Wanderers Seconds remain 3 points clear after a 6 – 1 win over South Brent; Simon Ross scored 4 goals with Kye Walker bagging 2 to keep the Greens on course for the title. Meanwhile, Ashburton slipped up in a 13 goal thriller at Stoke Gabriel TP; 8 – 5 was the final score. Marc Hagland also scored 4 with Russell Cooper, Daniel Treseze and Max Prestwood keeping Stoke in mid table.

Division Four is also going to the wire this season; Liverton Utd Seconds remain in pole position following a 3 – 2 win over Drake FC who drop to third and will be glad to see the back of Liverton this season after 3 defeats in 5 weeks. Elburton Villa Thirrds move into second place with their 4 – 3 win at Kingsteignton Athletic Seconds who are now fourth and must be favourites to win this division as they have a game in hand and a relatively easy run in; up next for Kingsteignton is Liverton United on 11th May.

Game to catch this week in the South Devon Football League…well it has to be the Herald Cup Final on Friday 10th May under the lights at Stoke Gabriel with a 7pm kick off. Ilsington Villa, Premier League new boys and newly-crowned champions will be playing in the final for the first time since 1981 and only the second time in the club’s history where they will face Newton Abbot ’66 who are playing in their second successive final, and they last won the cup in 2000. Although there is plenty of parking available, supporters are advised to arrive early as this is a well-attended event in the South Devon League calendar; gates will open at 5.30pm and the host club will have a full bar and food service available.

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Weekly Match Reports 23rd March

ON ANOTHER CUP RUN: 2023 Herald Cup runners-up Newton Abbot ’66 are into the last eight. Photo contributed by SDFL

Farewell to a Brixham Legend

I start this weeks report with the sad news that Brixham football stalwart Bill Harris has passed away. Bill was secretary of the Brixham Villa club for over 50 years and was the driving force in the merger with Brixham Utd in 2012 to create the Brixham AFC that we have today. And what a merger it turned out to be with the first team now playing football in the Western League, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Buckland Athletic, Clevedon and Falmouth to name a few, and the second team playing in the South Devon Premier League where both Villa and United used to play. Bill also received a services to football award from the FA for the work he had done for football in the county; as a player, he won the Herald Cup and the South Devon Premier Division with Brixham Villa. Bill will also be remembered for setting up the Brixham AFC lottery which funds the club to this day. The current secretary of the club Mark Buley, who provided the above information, described Bill as an absolute legend and a man that has done so much for football, and he will be sorely missed. Bill’s funeral is at All Saints Church, Brixham at 10.30am on Thursday 28th March.

South Brent’s Herald Cup Run Ends –

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JOURNEY’S OVER: Division Three side South Brent were dispatched from the Herald Cup.

In the games played on Saturday, there was no fairytale ending for South Brent in the Herald Cup Third Round against Premier Division Newton Abbot ’66. The home team ran out 9 – 1 winners, but it was not plain sailing in the first half. ’66 scored in the first minute and added a second with a penalty, but it was not until manager Ian Clennehan made sweeping substitutions that ’66 started to click. Three goals in a two minute period put the game beyond the Division Three side who did manage a consolation goal with the last kick of the game to prevent a clean sheet. Tom Lowe and Jamie Groves scored two each after coming on as subs, and there were singles for Callum Foskett, Joe Clark Farley, Ashley Dove and Liam Ashwell.

In the Torbay Clearance Services Premier Division, Ilsington Villa remain two points clear at the top after a 5 – 2 home win against bottom club WBB. Daniel Langford notched up a hat-trick with Jack Langford and Jack Dixon adding singles. Just behind them are Plymouth based Morley Rangers who played a home game in Newton Abbot versus Brixham AFC just to guarantee the game would be on, and the move proved profitable as they ran out 3-nil victors. Matt David, JJ Honeywell and James Melluish were the target men for Rangers. Buckfastleigh Rangers opened up a gap into fourth place with a 6 – 4 home win against Beesands Rovers whose season has stalled since December. East Allington United slipped to third from bottom despite holding Kingsteignton Athletic to a nil-nil draw at Broadpark, and that’s because Chudleigh Athletic had a great result, running out 4 – 1 winners over Waldon Athletic at Kate Brook. They are now eight points clear of the drop zone. Joe Potter scored two with Gavin Hammon and Jack Edward Salmons adding singles that could keep the Maroons safe from the drop.

In Division One, it was the quarter finals of the Dartmouth Cup, and Buckland Athletic Reserves booked a semi final slot with a 2 – 1 home win versus Brixham Town, and there was a real heavyweight tussle at South Devon College where Paignton Saints knocked out top of the table Ivybridge Town Reserves by 4 goals to 1; Jamie Micklewright scored twice with Ben Clarke and Jake Powell adding singles. There was also a big result for Watcombe Wanderers who defeated Newton Abbot Spurs Reserves by 2 goals to nil, and Spurs finished the game with 10 players, a result that may be costly for Spurs come the end of May. Totnes and Dartington have now moved into third place, four points clear of Spurs in fourth. Jack Whitby scored in each half for the Tots to secure the points. Paignton Villa moved into the safety zone with a 3-nil win at Upton Athletic who remain at the wrong end of the table and in desperate need of a win; they wont need to wait long for that opportunity as on Easter Saturday they play fellow relegation candidates Harbertonford at Steps Cross.

In Division Two, the top four all won and it remains very tight as we move into the business end of the season. Newton Abbot Spurs Thirds stay top with a 5 – 2 win over Paignton Villa Seconds; East Allington United stay in second place after a 4 – 1 win at home to Newton Rovers and in third place, Bovey Tracey Reserves had a comfortable 7-nil home win against Waldon Athletic Seconds. Pre-season favourites Paignton Saints Seconds remain in fourth place, three points off second and seven points off the top following their 4 – 1 victory at bottom side Brixham Town Seconds. Billy Reay, George Keats and Syzmon Brzezinski were the heroes for the Saints. There are three points separating four of the bottom five, and Ipplepen Athletic, Paignton Villa Seconds, Newton Rovers and Waldon Athletic Seconds could all do with winning a game.

In Division Three, Watcombe Wanderers Seconds beat third placed Totnes and Dartington Seconds by 2 goals to nil to remain three points ahead of Ashburton who had a comfortable afternoon by inflicting an 8-nil on Kingsbridge and Kellaton United, and Stoke Gabriel TP moved into the safety zone with a 7 – 1 win at Teign Village; Adam Blackburn, Max Prestwood, Paul Christie and Ian Sloman were all on target for Stoke.

Elburton Villa Thirds continue to improve and make inroads into their games in hand on their rivals; a 5 – 3 win at Broadhempston United puts them into fifth place but only eight points off the top with two games in hand. Their neighbours Drake FC were given a walkover as Watcombe Wanderers Thirds could not raise a team.

Games to catch on Easter Saturday in the South Devon Football League include the Premier Division clash at Buckfastleigh where Kingsteignton are the visitors; there is a relegation battle for Brixham AFC who host Elburton Villa Reserves. Who does not like a local derby? At Coach Road, Paignton Saints entertain Paignton Villa and there’s a relegation six-pointer at Steps Cross where Upton Athletic play Harbertonford. In Division Two, there is a promotion six-pointer when Bovey Tracey Reserves welcome East Allington United Seconds. In Division Three, there are two big cup quarter finals at Ashburton who host South Brent in an A38 derby and at Totnes and Dartington Seconds who play Liverton United. The big game in Division Four is first versus third in the form of Drake FC versus Liverton United Seconds which could have a big say in who is in the top two come May.

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