Category: League Round Up

newton abbot spurs reserves

Champions Spurs open their season with a point, while league offers support to boost referee numbers

TORBAY CLEARANCE SERVICES, SOUTH DEVON FOOTBALL LEAGUE. WEEKLY MATCH REPORTS 20th SEP, report by Alastair Muirden. Photo of Newton Abbot Spurs Reserves contributed by SDFL

Referee shortage hits home again and it’s the clubs (and the Referee Secretary) that suffer.

It’s incredible to think about the games that have been played without a referee on the first two Saturdays. Firstly, well done and thank you to those volunteers that stepped forward to take charge of league fixtures, and the headache that the Referee Secretary is trying to manage is going to take more than paracetamol to solve. The brutal fact is that there are just not enough referees to start with, and when you add in the loss of officials that are taken to run lines in SWPL, Western League and now Southern League games, together with the early County Cup rounds, it is almost an impossible task to provide a referee for every game.

For any players out there thinking of taking up the whistle and moving over to the dark side, there are tremendous benefits to be had from being part of the SDFL referee group, and I know that a number of referees are still actively involved in football some 30 years after they stopped playing. But I hear you say it all costs money to do the referees course. Yes it does, but the SDFL have an assistance scheme to get you through without any initial outlay. There are referee courses coming up in Newton Abbot and Bovey Tracey, and if you are interested, please phone the Referee Secretary Phil Smith on 07974672113 or Richard Mason on 01626332077 to become part of the South Devon football family.

Friday night football returned to the Premier Division courtesy of Newton Abbot Spurs Seconds who opened up their defence of the title with a 1-1 draw against East Allington United in front of a decent crowd at the Rec. A point on the board for both teams in their opening game is probably a good point.

That left three teams to play their opening game, and all three went ahead. The Windmill made the short trip from Leigham across town to Millbay Park where True Blues were waiting with a blue welcome. In an epic encounter that was a credit to the SDFL, the points were shared in a 2-2 draw. Ben Woodman scored both goals for the Gers, and Windmill replied courtesy of Louis Godwin and Alexander Photiou.

Chudleigh Athletic will be disappointed in coming away from Coach Road empty handed in their opening game versus Paignton Saints. A scrappy 1-nil, win thanks to a Harvey Veysey tap in when John Emery’s shot hit the post and ran along the line, gets Saints off the mark having lost their opener last time out. Waldon Athletic are struggling and their onfield woes continue, this time at the hands of Ilsington Villa who scored eight without reply to stay level at the top with Kingsteignton Athletic who won 5 – 2 at Totnes and Dartington, a win that gives them a better start than last season. Buckfastleigh Rangers have had a difficult start to the season, and they could not have been relishing the visit of pre-season favourites Lakeside Athletic following their defeat on opening day. The Plymouth team won 8-1 to restore some hope that they will be there or thereabouts come May.

In Division One, there was a massive shock at Bovey Tracey Reserves who lost 5–3 to newly promoted Barton Athletic in a cracking game; strikes from Zach Norton, Eden Cresswell Cluer, Oakley Hunt and Liam Walton won the first points of the season for the Torquay side with a very strong lineup of goalscorers.

But it is Brixham Town who sit at the top after 3 games. A tight 2-1 win over Paignton Villa has Shaun wondering if this could be his season; as for Villa fans, all the photo shots of the league table from two weeks ago are a distant memory for now. WBB have also had a good start to the season; a 4-nil win against a young Buckland Athletic Reserves side sees the Claymen keeping pace with the Fishermen at the top. Beesands Rovers lost their first game of the season with a 4-3 loss at Watcombe Wanderers in a bruising affair; Sam Pyne, Jamie Orchard, Oliver Dowell and Frazer Rudge were the target men for the Greens.

Mount Gould finally got their league season off to a flyer with a 5-nil win against local rivals Elburton Villa Reserves in front of a decent crowd. Bentley Alcantara was on target, but it was a former True Blue, Ray Spear, who caught the eye with four goals.

In Division Two, Ivybridge Town Reserves are three points clear following a great 6-1 win at Erme Valley against an East Allington Second team who will win more than they lose. James Forrest and Oliver Tyson each scored twice, and there were singles for Caleb Talliss and Travis Newton. Paignton Villa Seconds have also had a good start to the new term, scoring 14 goals in three games; this time, it was a narrow 3-2 win over Newton Rovers who occupy bottom slot at the moment. I said last week that Ashburton’s credentials would be tested, and they rose to the visit of unbeaten Drake. A 7-2 win, with strikes from James Martin, Alex Hambly, Kameron Pouladdje, Derek Cartmill and a hat trick for Lee Grimshaw, was more than good enough to get the Ashes on the points board. Signal Box Oak Villa picked up their second win in three games, a 4-2 win at Manadon over Paignton Saints Seconds, who have yet to register any points, may seem like a formality, but Saints put up a fight and made the Plymouth side work for the points. Paul Thompson, Harley Mitchell and a double for super-sub Jordan Rickards keeps them well placed. Babbacombe Corries are also unbeaten and a 5-nil win at Harbertonford, Curtis Marshall, Jordan Bradshaw and a Jack Cousins hat-trick, gives Corries their best start for three seasons. Upton Athletic picked up their first points of the season in a 5-2 home win versus Watcombe Wanderers Seconds in what is going to be a tight division with only Saints and Rovers pointless.

Division Three is definitely taking shape; in line with the bookies’ favourites, Kingskerwell continue to win games, and a 4-nil win at South Brent puts them on maximum points from three games, and Galmpton United overcame a scare with a 5-4 win over a decent looking Totnes and Dartington Reserves side who have yet to register a point, Kingsteignton Athletic Seconds are keeping pace with the top two; a 7-nil win over Buckfastleigh Rangers Seconds, with double strikes from Ashley Hayworth, Jasper King and Ashton Hogarth, sealed the deal for the young Rams. Liverton United Seconds lost for the first time in a 4-2 win for Newton Abbot ’66 Seconds at Osborne Park; goals for Russell Ellis, Daniel Martin, Cody Monk and Will Poundall gets Sixes on the points board for the new term. Templer Way finally found a way to win again with a 6-1 demolition of Ipplepen Athletic Seconds thanks to Chris Bennett, Toto Whittle and Reuben Mantara, and I am sure they will win more than they lose again this season.

Only three games went ahead in Division Four, and Teign Village join Chudleigh Ath Seconds at the top, both with a 100% record. Village had a comfortable 4-nil win at Barton Athletic Seconds, at Barton Downs, and Paignton Villa Thirds move into third place with a 2-nil win versus Newton Rovers Seconds. The final game in this division was at Broadhempston where the home team welcomed Paignton Saints Thirds, and Broads came out on top in an entertaining 5-4 victory; this was a game that went ahead without an official referee, so big thanks and well done to the volunteer who stepped up to take charge.

Games to catch on Saturday 27th September:

The Premier Division offers the first Newton Abbot derby of the season at Osborne park where ’66 meet Spurs, and just down the road at Broadpark, Kingsteignton Athletic face East Allington United in what is normally a cracking game, and Paignton Saints have an early opportunity to reply to their opening game defeat at Ilsington Villa when they meet for the second time in three weeks.

In Division One, Liverton United travel to Mount Gould where they were the only team to take all six points last season, and no doubt the Plymouth side will be looking to prevent a repeat of their previous meetings. Beesands Rovers and Paignton Villa have both had good starts to their seasons, and it should be a great game when they meet at Loddiswell.

Division Two has a couple of stand out fixtures. Ashburton face a Plymouth side for the second week running, and again they will be tested when they meet Signal Box at Manadon 3g, and East Allington United face a Drake FC team that will be looking to bounce back after defeat the last time out.

Division Three has two of the matches of the day. Galmpton United have a local derby versus Stoke Gabriel TP to look forward to, and Kingskerswell will get a stern test at Liverton United.

In Division Four, Broadhempston United will need to fuel up the charabang for their outing to Bere Alston United where the team gets a big support, and Teign Village will want to keep the momentum going when Newton Rovers take a trip up to the village.

Enjoy your grassroots football.

ilsington villa sdfl premier division 2025

Villa edge St Martins as five SDFL clubs make it to Round Two of the Premier Cup.

TORBAY CLEARANCE SERVICES, SOUTH DEVON FOOTBALL LEAGUE. WEEKLY MATCH REPORTS 6th SEP, report by Alastair Muirden. Photo of Ilsington Villa contributed by SDFL

The opening day fixtures were reduced to just 16 games to allow the County Cups to start. The games that SDFL teams were involved in produced 143 goals, plenty of talking points and a few shock results.

There were some disappointed teams this week who received a bye in the county cups but were not able to arrange a league fixture on the opening day of the season due to a number of reasons. In fact, no Premier Division games were played at all, and only three Division One games went ahead, but each of them involved a team that was either promoted from Division Two or relegated from the top division.

Beesands Rovers, fresh out of the Premier Division, set out their stall on opening day with a 3-1 victory at WBB. A double strike from Jack Eades was enough for the Bees to take three points on the opening day back to the South Hams. But it’s Paignton Villa who top the table after week one with a 5-2 win at newly promoted Barton Athletic, with five goals from five different players: Tom Evans, Tom Meyer, Charlie Thomas, Suliman Yaha and Ashlie Salmon all found the back of the net and forced the Villa supporters to be taking screenshots of the league table. The team that came up with Barton from Division Two, Liverton United, had a more fruitful start to the season with a hard earned 5-4 victory, at Halford, versus Brixham Town. Jack Shelton set Livvy on their way, but a hat-trick for last season’s golden boot winner Jamie Passmore sealed the deal for the home team. Graham Mercieca also got on the score-sheet in what was an entertaining game.

In Division Two, all eyes were on Long Lane where Watcombe Wanderers Seconds were going to be the first team to face last season’s Plymouth and District champions, and they not only faced them, they beat them by 5 goals to 2 thanks to a single Cam Kelly strike and an impressive four goals for Jamie Orchard in what was a great way for the Greens to get their season off to a flyer. Harbertonford, who very nearly went out of business during the summer, also got their season off to a positive start with a 5-3 victory against East Allington Utd Seconds; single strikes from Billy Bright and Keiron Hanson were surpassed by a hat-trick from George Condon to give Fords their first opening day win for three seasons. Newly promoted Drake FC took the points on opening day from their fixture against Paignton Saints Seconds, at Coach Road; a narrow 2-1 win was enough for the Plymouth-based team to enjoy the journey home. The final victors in Division Two were Ivybridge Town Reserves who won 1-nil at White Rock against Paignton Villa Seconds; following two relegations in a row, no doubt they will be delighted to get their season off to a good start and have something to build on. Villa will be disappointed not to find a goal, especially as they were a new set of goalposts; perhaps Kevin will get the old ones back out next week.

Division Three is tipped to be anybody’s division, and newly promoted Templer Way came a cropper at home against Liverton United Seconds who won 6-2 with goals from Oliver West and Simon Ross before Kye Graham helped himself to four goals. Chris Bennett and Brad Breslan were on target for the Bishopsteignton-based team who will reset and probably win more than they lose during the course of the season. Kingskerswell have not forgotten how to win: a 3-2 victory versus a young Kingsteignton Athletic Second side who made the more experienced team work for the points, and it may just be ‘Kerswell who have to call on some reinforcements to continue their rise. Stoke Gabriel TP just got the better of a Newton Abbot ’66 Second team that don’t lose many games during the course of a season; Daniel Triseze, Adam Blackburn and Elliot Osman were on target for the Bees in a 3-2 win that sets them off and running in what will be a tough campaign. South Brent were the other team that made a positive start to their season: a 1-nil home win against a young Ipplepen Athletic Second team, thanks to a single strike by Taylor Kasitz, was a tonic for Brent who, for the past few seasons, have got behind with fixtures and, like a lot of clubs, have worked hard behind the scenes to keep a team in the town going, so well done to all at South Brent. The other game that was played in this division was fortunate to have an experienced referee in charge. Galmpton United, playing their first game back in the SDFL for three seasons, drew the game against Waldon Athletic Seconds 2-2, but they finished the game with ten players, and Waldon Athletic, who had 4 yellow cards, have come close to a county misconduct charge, so an expensive first day of the season for both clubs who have a point each on the league table.

Bere Alston United Seconds, the new boys in Division Four, got off to a winning start with a 2-1 victory over a stubborn Newton Rovers reserve team; goals from Adam Daymond and Joshua Hewes did the trick for the team that were playing in an under-16 league last season. Chudleigh Athletic Seconds top the division following a 9-1 thumping of Paignton Saints Thirds, and they will be looking to go one better this season after just losing out on promotion last term. Teign Village, who finished in third place last season, have also set out their stall for the new season with a 6-3 victory over Kingsbridge and Kellaton United. Whilst the visitors went home empty handed, they will be pleased to get one of their longest trips out of the way on the opening day. Elliot Glasser scored a brace in the final game to be played in Division Four at Cricketfield Road, where Waldon Athletic Thirds and Barton Athletic Seconds fought out an entertaining 2-2 draw in front of a decent crowd that preferred grassroots to Plainmoor and saved themselves £20 in the process.

The County Cups got underway this week, and there are high expectations for some of the SDFL teams to go all the way in all three adult competitions. Safely through to Round Two in the Premier Cup are Ilsington Villa, who beat St Martins (Exeter) 3-2; Newton Abbot ’66, who won on penalties versus Budleigh Salterton (Step 7); Chudleigh Athletic, who won 2-1 at Torridgeside Reserves (North Devon) and Paignton Saints, 5-1 winners at Totnes & Dartington.

In the Senior Cup, Elburton Villa Reserves and Mount Gould progressed comfortably, but Bovey Tracey Reserves made the long trip to Merton and scored 12 goals without reply.

In the Intermediate Cup, Buckfastleigh Rangers Seconds also made it into the hat with a 3-1 win over Paignton Villa Thirds. The remainder of the first round ties are being played over the next two weeks, although there have been a large number of byes.

Games to catch on Saturday 13th September:

The standout fixture in the top division will be at Osborne Park where Newton Abbot ’66 face Lakeside Athletic in what will be a Premier Division christening for the Plymouth-based team against a Sixes side that are difficult to beat. In Division One, Elburton Villa Reserves welcome Beesands Rovers to Haye Road for a fixture that last season was played as a Premier Division game, and one of the pre-season favorites Bovey Tracey open with a home game versus Watcombe Wanderers. In Division Two, all eyes will be on Manadon Sports Centre where new boys Signal Box will be looking for an immediate improvement after losing their opening game. They are at home to Newton Rovers, and Ashburton, who enjoyed a promotion season last time out, face an East Allington United Second team who came very close to promotion themselves last season but lost on the opening day; this should be a good game to watch. Game of the day in Division Three is at Michael’s Field where Templer Way welcome Kingsteignton Athletic Seconds who will be no pushovers, and both will be looking to get points on the board after suffering defeat last week. Last season’s Division Four champions, with a 100% record, Kingskerswell travel to relegated Ipplepen Athletic Reserves who have made some interesting signings during the summer and, depending on when they are due at university, they could have a bearing on the outcome and that record. If you are looking for a game in Torquay, then look no further than Cricketfield Road where a very young Bere Alston United team will face Waldon Athletic Thirds in the game of the day in Division Four.

All fixtures are available on the league’s full time website, and they all KO at 2.30pm. With Torquay United and Argyle playing away from home, get out and support your grassroots football team!

the windmill dartmouth cup winners 2025

All Plymouth Final Sees Windmill Victorious

TORBAY CLEARANCE SERVICES, SOUTH DEVON FOOTBALL LEAGUE. WEEKLY MATCH REPORTS 10th MAY, report by Alastair Muirden. Photo of Dartmouth Cup winners, The Windmill FC contributed by SDFL

For the first time in the long history of the South Devon Football League, two Plymouth based teams reached the final of the Division One Dartmouth Cup. Plymouth Phoenix versus The Windmill, two teams that have enjoyed an extraordinary season in the league and county cup competitions, met at Buckfastleigh Rangers FC on Friday 9th May in what promised to be a treat for South Devon League followers. But I have to say they made the crowd wait for their treats.

The game started brightly enough with both teams having early moments in front of goal. Just 4 minutes in and David Moore had a header cleared off the line for Phoenix and, at the other end, Jack Briscoe was causing all sorts of problems for the Phoenix defence. But having two teams that are not used to losing had an effect on the game as they both cancelled each other out for a long period of time; Sam Doyle picked up an early yellow card for a poor challenge and in the 42nd minute, the Windmill supporters felt that Carlton Allen was fortunate to stay on the pitch following a challenge on Sam Wells in the Windmill goal, but the referee spoke to his assistant and they both agreed that it was worthy of a yellow card.

The second half was more competitive with both teams opening up for a win, and a few substitutions were made and a few more yellow cards were issued for poor challenges, but what was more noticeable was that Windmill were having the better chances and Phoenix could not deal with Jack Briscoe whilst at the back, Chey Hammond seemed to be covering a lot of ground to keep any Phoenix attacks under control; in the 67th minute, Briscoe had a header hit the underside of the bar and bounce on the line and just 2 minutes later, he had a blistering shot that went just over the bar, and Windmill were definitely knocking at the door. On 71 minutes, another Windmill attack came to nothing but as the Phoenix skipper tried to control the ball, it bounced up and hit his arm that was outstretched and the referee pointed to the spot. Up stepped Louis Godwin who put the ball straight down the middle, and the Phoenix ‘keeper could do nothing to stop it. 1-nil Windmill. At this point, Phoenix threw everything at the game; Ashley White hit the bar from a free-kick, Jamie Grindrod got himself sent off for throwing the ball at somebody in the dug out, out of frustration, and at the other end with time running out, Jack Biscoe got his reward when he chipped the ‘keeper from close range to make it 2-nil to Windmill and ensure that it would be Glynn, Kevin and Cora that were taking the Dartmouth Cup back down the A38.

chey hammond the windmill dartmouth cup winners 2025

The sponsors for the Dartmouth Cup are Francis Clark Accountants, and they judged that the Windmill skipper Chey Hammond (pictured) was the man of the match and presented him with a commemorative glass.

In the Premier Division midweek games, Newton Abbot Spurs Reserves once again called on their resources, as did their opponents Waldon Athletic, but the Torquay side were off the pace and still suffering a Herald Cup hangover as Spurs took another step towards being crowned champions. Toby Pullman scored 4 of the 9 goals that puts Spurs 5 points behind Ilsington Villa with 2 games in hand.

Move forward to Friday 9th May and Newton Abbot Spurs are back in action again, this time against relegation threatened Chudleigh Athletic who were no match for the now favourites to become the SDFL champions for the first time in the history of the club’s 2nd team; a 5 – 1 victory, thanks to goals from Toby Pullman, Callum Noyce and Jack Upshire, leaves them with 2 games to win against Waldon Athletic and Totnes and Dartington. Meanwhile, Chudleigh only have 1 game to play, also against Waldon, where they need a win to give themselves a chance of retaining Premier Division status.

Ilsington Villa remain in pole position after their final game of the season, but Beesands Rovers will be mightily proud of holding the Moorlanders to a 2-2 draw at Loddiswell in the sunshine; Ilsington led twice but could not hold on to either lead; Jack Eades equalized from the spot in the first half and Adam Winkworth scored in the dying seconds to earn a point for the Bees. It looks like Beesands are still going to need a win from playing East Allington or Kingsteignton; that is depending on the outcome of the Waldon v Chudleigh game.

East Allington United must be wishing they could go back to the future with their their end of season form having only lost one of their last eight games; this week’s 4-1 victory over Totnes and Dartington sees the Pirates up to fifth place and a top four place is a possibility for this team who at Easter were 2 points off a relegation spot; there must be something in the water, or it’s Geraldine’s after game biscuits that has helped the team.

In Division One, the games are coming thick and fast for Phoenix who made the long trek to Brixham Town on Tuesday and came away with a 7-1 win thanks to 4 more goals for David Moore’s season tally of 36 so far. Phoenix are 6 points behind True Blues with 3 games in hand. In fact, Phoenix still have 5 games to play in the last two weeks of the season, and 2 of them are against True Blues.

Brixham Town closed out their season with a trip to face Bovey Tracey Reserves, and it ended with a disappointing 4-1 defeat for the Fishermen; on the flip side, Bovey are cemented in fourth place and could nick third if The Windmill slip up, and they both meet on the last day of the season. On target for Bovey were Ben Moyle, Ryan Stanbridge, and a worldy from Christian Fleet was the highlight of the afternoon.

The gap at the top of Division Two that Mount Gould have been working away at over the past few weeks is now down to 3 points; their midweek outing at Buckfastleigh Rangers Seconds resulted in a 7-nil win helped by a Joshua Bance hat trick, and they are looking go joint top with a win at Watcombe Wanderers Seconds at the weekend which is exactly what happened; the 7-nil scoreline, thanks to 4 goals from Nathen Lang and a couple from Jack Trigger, was enough to put the Mounties top on goal difference, a point away from the formality of being crowned Division Two champions on their journey back to the football pyramid. The only other game in this division was at Halford where Liverton United had another good win; a 5-3 scoreline leaves them needing just two points to guarantee that spot; only East Allington Seconds, Paignton Saints Seconds and Watcombe Seconds can also finish third in what has been a great competition, but congratulations are due to Mount Gould and Barton Athletic who will be playing in Division One next term.

The top of the table game in Division Three was at Ashburton where they welcomed the only team that can beat them to the title in Elburton Villa Thirds. In a game that was a credit to this division, the visitors ran out 4-2 winners and the Ashes will have to wait another week until they visit Newton Abbot ’66 Seconds to get the win that is needed to clinch the division title. Elburton return to Plymouth with the points that take them to within one point of the runners-up spot should Ashes win at ’66. Should that not happen, then Villa can take the title with a win at South Brent and Paignton Saints Thirds. Now is probably not a good moment to mention that a league officer was at the Ashburton game with the Division Three trophy for presentation; perhaps he will stay away from the ’66 game!! Three other games were played in this division, and Liverton United Seconds made the trip to Brixham Town Seconds, and came away with a 3-1 victory; South Brent, who still have five games to play in the next 14 days, will have been disappointed to lose 1-nil at home to Stoke Gabriel TP, and Newton Abbot ’66 Seconds, who have had a really good season, beat Paignton Saints Thirds by 4 goals to 1; Macualey Kerr, Alfie Luscombe and Russell Ellis were on target for Sixes.

With just two weeks of the grassroots season left, it should be noted that only one of the South Devon Football League’s five divisions has a confirmed champion and runner-up, That is, of course, Division Four where Kingskerswell won the title with an unbeaten season and Templer Way finished second in their first season in Saturday football.

The Premier Division will be won by Newton Abbot Spurs Seconds or Ilsington Villa; the relegation spots will be Elburton Villa Reserves plus Beesands Rovers or Chudleigh Athletic.

Division One will be won by Phoenix or True Blues; runners-up will be either of them plus Windmill. The relegation spots will be Ivybridge Town Reserves plus Watcombe Wanderers, Paignton Villa or Newton Abbot Spurs Thirds.

Division Two will be won by Mount Gould, unless they concede 27 goals in their last three games, and runners-up will be Barton Athletic. The relegation spots will be Buckfastleigh Rangers Seconds and Ipplepen Athletic Seconds.

Division Three will be won by Ashburton or Elburton Villa Thirds. Drake FC could get runners-up if Elburton lose their last two games. The relegation spots will be Brixham Town Seconds and Paignton Saints Thirds.

I can tell you that the league management committee are delighted with how good the competition has been this season, and to have only one confirmed champion with 14 days of the season left would have been on all of their wish lists.

Games to catch this week:

The Premier Division George Belli Cup Final between Totnes and Dartington and Newton Abbot Spurs Seconds will be played on Thursday 15th May at Liverton United with a 7pm KO.

Spurs are still in the hunt for a league and cup double and start the game as favourites as they won their only league encounter 5-nil; they still have to play again in the league at the Rec. But Tots have had some good scorelines in their promotion season and having knocked out Waldon and Paignton Saints en route to the final, plus knowing that Spurs cannot use squad players, will boost their confidence of crowning off a good season. There is plenty of parking at Dartington and a full bar and food service will be available alongside Pauline’s famous pasties.

Enjoy your final two weeks of grassroots football.

newton abbot spurs reserves

Ilsington’s Title Push Continues with 7th Straight League Win

TORBAY CLEARANCE SERVICES, SOUTH DEVON FOOTBALL LEAGUE. WEEKLY MATCH REPORTS 3rd MAY, report by Alastair Muirden. Photo of Newton Abbot Spurs Reserves contributed by SDFL

At the top of the Premier Division, Ilsington Villa stretched their lead with a midweek win at new Herald Cup holders Waldon Athletic. The 8-1 scoreline was achieved with hat-tricks for Dan Langford and James Karvalla and may have flattered the Moorlanders but for the fielding of several second team players by the hosts in preparation for their big day out. Villa’s lead at the top is 8 points and Spurs have 3 games in hand; Villa have one game to play which is at Beesands Rovers on 10th May.

Saturday’s fixtures were all about the relegation places. Whilst Elburton Villa Seconds have already claimed one spot in Division One next season, the other spot has for some time been between Chudleigh Athletic and Beesands Rovers, but an upturn in form for both teams has made it interesting. Chudleigh Athletic lost 1-nil at East Allington United to a late header by Ben Tapper who puts the Pirates up to the heady heights of sixth place after flirting with the bottom two places as recently as Easter. The prospects for Chudleigh Athletic surviving may actually lie in the hands of East Allington United who have to play Beesands Rovers twice this month. Should Beesands win one of those games, then Chudleigh will need to beat Waldon or Newton Spurs Reserves (pictured above) in their final two games. Beesands Rovers on the other hand had a great win at home to Paignton Saints by 4 goals to 3 thanks to a Louis Brace hat trick and a Jack Eades single; it leaves Rovers second from bottom with 4 games to play and just 2 points behind Chudleigh. It was Saints’ last game so they will have to watch this space to find out if Rovers can make up the 6 point gap to send Saints back to Division One after one season.

Division One has caused the league officers some problems this season; from what was a very strong league at the start of the season it has become clear that not all clubs can win the support of players when times get tough or the sun shines. Watcombe Wanderers could not raise a team from 84 registered players to travel to Bovey Tracey Reserves, so the home team pick up the points and will probably finish their season in fourth place; what gets lost is the time and effort spent by the hosts to prepare the pitch and the ground to welcome the public, not to mention the food purchase and preparation only to be let down on a Saturday morning.

Buckland Athletic Seconds finished their season with a 2-nil home win against Brixham Town and should be pleased with a top six season. Town were already safe from the drop, but the pending points deductions heading Watcombe’s way will allow them to enjoy their final two fixtures versus Phoenix and Bovey. WBB also had a good result, a 4-nil win against already relegated Ivybridge Town Reserves sends them into mid table in what has been a difficult season for the Claymen.

The top of the table game was played on Friday evening under lights at Parkway Social Club and what a game it was; whilst it may not affect the end result of this division, it certainly shook some feathers; Windmill moved to within 2 points of Phoenix with a fine 4-1 win and became the first team this season to beat the favourites; not only was it the first time Phoenix have lost in the SDFL, it was the first time they had lost in any league competition for 2 years, and the two teams meet on Friday 9th May at Buckfastleigh in the Dartmouth Cup at 7pm. Windmill will also be hoping that their neighbours True Blues can help them by taking points from Phoenix in their upcoming league fixtures.

In Division Two, Mount Gould must be wondering if they made the correct decision to join the South Devon League; this week, they were let down for the fourth time in the league and pick up the points for Upton Athletic not travelling to play; they have also had two cup games where the opposition have failed to honour a fixture; the gap at the top is 6 points as Barton Athletic won their final game 2-nil at Paignton Villa Seconds thanks to an own goal and a Zach Norton strike that has secured at least the runners-up place and a place in Division One next season; Liverton United needed Barton to drop points to catch them, so as a result of Barton’s win, they can get to third place if they win four of their final six games. At the bottom, both of the reserve teams from Ipplepen Athletic and Buckfastleigh Rangers will go into Division Three next term.

Game to catch Friday 9th May: At Buckfastleigh Rangers FC is the Division One Dartmouth Cup Final between Plymouth Phoenix and The Windmill with a 7pm KO.

This is a first for the South Devon Football League as two Plymouth-based teams will contest a cup final. The two teams met in the league last week and as reported above, Windmill won by 4 goals to 1 and have no doubt put a dent in the ambitions of the Phoenix club. This is predicted to be a great game with two quality teams that could and should be playing at a higher level of football.

Game to catch Saturday 10th May: The Division Three title could be won or lost at Ashburton where third placed Elburton Villa Thirds are the visitors. A win or draw for Ashes gives them the title. A win for Villa and they could catch them.

Enjoy your grass roots football.

liverton united south devon football league division two

Liverton Take Their Chances to Lift Lidstone Cup

TORBAY CLEARANCE SERVICES, SOUTH DEVON FOOTBALL LEAGUE. WEEKLY MATCH REPORTS 26th APRIL, report by Alastair Muirden. Photo of Liverton United contributed by SDFL

Friday 25th April: Division Two Lidstone Cup Final

Liverton Utd 1st Versus Watcombe Wanderers 2nds

The end result of this well-supported cup final did not tell the whole story of the game; whilst 7-nil is a big scoreline for any game, never mind a cup final, it was all about taking chances which Liverton United did and Watcome Wanderers did not. The game itself was end to end for 90 minutes, and Watcombe, to their credit, never gave up even when they found themselves 1-nil down to a Joshua Passmore-Tarpey strike 4 minutes into the game. The same player ended up with a cup final hat-trick and was presented with the sponsor’s man of the match by Coast and Country Estate Agents. Liverton’s other scorers on the night were Harry Atkinson, who got two, and there were singles for Jamie Passmore and Marco Lekkas.

Saturday 26th April

In the top of the table Premier League game at Osborne Park, Newton Abbot Spurs Reserves won the town’s bragging rights, as well as the 3 points, against their closest neighbours Newton Abbot ’66 who were playing their final game of the campaign. A 1-nil win, courtesy of a Beck Hannah strike, was enough to put Spurs just 5 points behind Ilsington Villa with 2 games in hand and 4 to play; the defeat for Sixes guarantees them a respectable third place in the top division. At the other end of the table, Chudleigh Athletic continued with their end of season upturn in results with a 3 – 1 win at Elburton Villa Seconds and this condemns Villa to Division One next term; Gavin Lake, who scored twice, and Tom Corbin were on target for Chudleigh who not only move 5 points clear of Beesands, who have 2 games in hand, but also drag Paignton Saints into the relegation pack, and they only have one game to play and that is against Beesands who may be able to catch them. Totnes and Dartington had a great result with a 3-1 win against Herald Cup finalists Waldon Athletic who still have fifth place in their sights but only just, as they will need to win 3 of their final 4 games to get there.

In Division One, True Blues secured promotion to next season’s Premier Division without kicking a ball; not for the first time this season, a Watcombe Wanderers team failed to raise a side and gifted the opposition the points; the decision for Watcombe, who occupy sixth place in the division, could be a costly one; as it stands, if Paignton Villa win their final game of the season against Watcombe on 17/05, then the Greens could be relegated to Division Two which, in turn, could affect their reserve team. Brixham Town all but cemented their place for another season in Division One with a 5-2 win against Ivybridge Town Reserves at Modbury Playing Fields; the result confirms Ivies’ second relegation in two seasons; on target for the Fisherman were Macca Dallow, with a hat trick, Hugo Griffiths and Jack Thompson. Elsewhere in Division One, Phoenix will join Windmill in the Dartmouth Cup final for what will be a first for the South Devon Football League where two Plymouth based teams will contest a cup final; a 3-1 win at South Devon College against Paignton Villa has come at a cost for the visitors: 6 yellow cards will no doubt attract a misconduct charge from the county FA, but the hat-trick from David Moore was well received. The Dartmouth Cup Final is scheduled for 9th May at a venue to be confirmed.

In Division Two, another team were gifted 3 points: Mount Gould were this week’s benefactors as Harbertonford failed to play them for the third time. The gap at the top is now down to 9 points and the Mounties have 6 games in hand. Fords are in mid-table and are safe from the drop, but again a costly decision was made. The mid-table game between Paignton Saints Seconds and Paignton Villa Seconds had to be abandoned due to the Villa ‘keeper Adam Taylor breaking his leg; all in the South Devon Football Family wish him a speady recovery. The big scorers of the day were East Allington Utd Seconds: they enjoyed a 12-nil win over Upton Athletic who are just about safe from the drop, whilst the reserve Pirates chase a top four place. The final game in Division Two was at Bakers Park where Newton Rovers were beaten 6-nil by Babbacombe Corries who will probably settle for third or fourth place which will give them something to work on next season.

In Division Three, Ashburton remain on course for the title; a 4-nil win at bottom team Brixham Town Reserves sees them move closer to a championship winning season. As second placed Drake FC have played all of their games, Elburton Villa Thirds are the only other team that can possibly join them in Division Two next season. They were playing in the divisional Ronald Cup against Stoke Gabriel TP and they won it 3-1 to set up what should be a great final against Ashburton on 22nd May. Kingsteignton Athletic Seconds moved into third place with a 2-1 home win versus South Brent; Dan Rankin scored both goals for the Rams who have just 2 games left to complete a successful season. Liverton United Reserves leapfrogged Brent with a 7-3 win against Paignton Saints Thirds; the result will keep them safe from the drop and having won the Fred Hewings Cup just a couple of weeks before their first team picked up the Lidstone Cup, the volunteers will be happy with the season that has been delivered at Liverton Utd.

Game coming up

Friday 2nd May: The Herald Cup Final 100 years anniversary. Kick Off is 7pm at Newton Abbot Recreational Trust between Kingsteignton Athletic and Waldon Athletic

Congratulations to both teams on reaching this season’s Herald Cup Final. Both had to endure a gruelling experience in their semi-finals by having to win by a penalty shootout in front of a big attendance. In the league, both teams have had a rollercoaster of a season by their own expectations but both should get a top five finish. The fixtures that were played between them in the league ended up with Kingsteignton winning 2-nil at Broadpark whilst Waldon came out on top by 3 goals to 1 at Windmill Hill. Kingsteignton go into the game as slight favourites being the third highest goalscorers in the premier league with 49 goals compared to Waldon’s 29, but at the other end, Waldon’s defence has the third best defensive record having only conceded 29 goals compared to Kingsteigntons 40.

A reminder that there is no spectator parking at the Rec, and supporters should use the Cricketfield Road car park which is a two minute walk from the ground. The hosts will have a full bar and barbecue service available from 6pm.

Enjoy your grassroots football.

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.

kingsteignton athletic sdfl premier division 2025

Leaders Villa fend off stern Bees challenge

TORBAY CLEARANCE SERVICES, SOUTH DEVON FOOTBALL LEAGUE. WEEKLY MATCH REPORTS 8th FEBRUARY, report by Alastair Muirden. Photo of Kingsteignton Athletic, who hit Elburton Villa Reserves for six this week, contributed by SDFL

It may well be as you were in the top half of the Premier Division after this weeks results, but Ilsington Villa huffed and puffed to get past a determined Beesands Rovers side that are fighting for their Premier Division status; it took goals from Daniel Langford and Myles Caldwell to secure a 2 – 1 home win and remain in pole position with 7 games to play.

Keeping up the pressure, and remaining level on points with the Moorlanders, are Newton Abbot ’66 who have played a game more and made no mistakes in their 4 – 1 victory over Chudleigh Athletic who are also fighting for their top division status. Ashley Dove scored twice with Carl Foskett and 17 year old Marley Rivers also finding the net. No doubt young Marley will be hoping to follow in his fathers footsteps into the pro game. In Mark’s career, he made 331 appearances for Crewe Alexandra, Norwich City and Carlisle United and netted 62 goals along the way. Coincidentally, ’66 only have 6 games to play and two of them are against top four clubs, so there are plenty of points to be played for especially next week against Newton Abbot Spurs Reserves. Elsewhere, Kingsteignton Athletic (pictured) remain in third place after brushing aside Elburton Villa Reserves by 6 goals to 1; Nick Garret won the match ball with a hat-trick, and Tom Reeves, Kelsey Leech and Matt Williams weighed in with singles. That was more than enough to give the Rams a comfortable afternoon at Broadpark. Buckfastleigh Rangers stay in fourth place, but it could have been so much more as they were held to a 1 – 1 draw by Paignton Saints in a game that both teams felt that it was 2 points dropped; the two teams meet again next week in the Herald Cup and with extra time and penalties there will definitely be a winner. Newton Abbot Spurs continue to be upwardly mobile; they had a good win over East Allington United and stay in fifth place thanks to a 3- 2 scoreline at the Rec; Callum Noyce, Jamie Micklewright and Jake Mitchell were the target men for Spurs who are 8 points off the lead with 4 games in hand and as the weeks go by, they are becoming the writer’s favourites for the title just two seasons after joining the South Devon Football League from the Devon Football League. Waldon Athletic got back to winning ways after a turbulent week for the club; a 4 – 1 home win against Totnes and Dartington was just the medicine for the Torquay-based team who will be there or thereabouts come the end of the season; Les Afful bagged two and there were singles for Kyle Doughty and Frank Major to keep the Clarets in contention.

There were only two league games played in Division One due to delayed cup games as Bovey Tracey Reserves took advantage with a fine 5-2 win at Newton Spurs Thirds to keep themselves ahead of The Windmill and within touching distance of Plymouth True Blues. Paignton Villa moved above Buckland Athletic Reserves in the standings with a 2 – 1 win over the Newton Abbot side; goals from Daniel Petty and Charlie Thomas puts the Villa into fifth place and just 4 points off the top four.

In Division Two, Barton Athletic picked up three free points as Buckfastleigh Rangers Reserves could not raise a team, but despite being in pole position, they must be looking over their shoulders as the clubs as far down as East Allington Seconds in seventh place have games in hand over the leaders who only have 7 to play; Mount Gould in third place have an incredibile 7 games in hand and are 12 points behind. Paignton Villa Seconds have been in a run of good form of late but that came to an end at Harbertonford who ran out winners on the day by 3 goals to 1. Strikes from Seb Looker, Joshua Block and George Haan won the points for the Fords who have now picked up points from over half of their fixtures and seem to be more settled after a worrying couple of seasons. Most of you know that you can never write off a Watcombe Wanderers team and the Greens, having had an indifferent start to the season, are up to fifth place with games in hand thanks to a 5 – 1 win at Bakers Park against Newton Rovers; Keiron Dale scored two and there were singles from Simon Ross, Steve Doyle and Sam Edney. Paignton Saints Reserves also moved away from any potential squeaky bum time with a 6 – 2 home win versus Upton Athletic who are also in a safe mid-table berth.

In Division Three, Drake FC let 2 more points slip away in their quest for a second successive promotion as visitors South Brent are more than happy with a 1 – 1 draw that moves them further away from the bottom two; Kasper Gorecki was on target for the Plymouth team who remain in second place but just to put this division into context, South Brent are third from bottom with five games in hand and should they win them, they could bag a promotion spot, so it’s all to play for; another team with games in hand are Totnes and Dartington Seconds; they dispatched Paignton Saints Thirds 6-nil with strikes from Ryan Turner, Jimmy Spriggs, Jordan Baxter, Connor Bagnell and Harry Parnham, a result which leaves Saints second from bottom having conceded 95 goals in 13 games.

It was business as usual in Division Four as Kingskerswell saw off the Teign Village challenge, winning 7-nil, and now only need 1 more win to be crowned Division Four champions, and we are only in February; they have a free weekend this week so I will report next week in case you would like to see the first silverware of the season won. The race for second place will go to the wire; Templer Way, currently in second place, won 5 – 2 at home against Broadhempston United; Toto Whittle scored 4 goals before being subbed off(!!) and James McGrain added a single after replacing him; now that’s what managers are supposed to do. And Teign Village remain in third place with a game in hand, and should it come down to goal difference, Templer are on plus 21 and Village are on plus 20, so that extra game for Village could make the difference but of course they both have to win the games before goal difference is considered. Chudleigh Athletic Reserves remain in fourth place with two games in hand but would need Templer or Village to slip up to overtake them; this week they won 4 – 1 at Kingsbridge and Kellaton United with goals from Joshua Webber, Jack Wills and Warren Smart to keep their good season on track. Paignton Villa Thirds and Waldon Athletic Thirds shared a 2 – 2 draw and both remain in mid-table.

The Torbay Clearance Services League has so far been fairly fortunate with the weather; with only a couple of weeks totally lost to the season, it’s amazing that we are in the first week of February and Waldon Athletic Thirds only have one league game to play at Cricketfield Road and whilst Division Four is a smaller division with ten teams, it’s only two less than the Premier Division where Newton Abbot Spurs Reserves have eleven games still to play. In Division One, Plymouth Phoenix still have to play thirteen games and they play on a 3g pitch!! They have been blighted by postponements by other teams and to their credit are still in three cup competitions, so if they continue to be unbeaten they could have 20 games to play, and there are only sixteen playing Saturdays left, so if you take out eight of those Saturdays for cup games, they could have to arrange at least eight midweek games in a six week period to finish the season. Another Plymouth based team in Mount Gould are also in a similar situation with fourteen league games to play not including their remaining cup games and in Division Three, South Brent, who had a month off earlier in the season, still have a bit of catch up to do in their remaining twelve games. Most other teams fall into the six to ten games left to play which should give the majority plenty of time and not so many mid-week fixtures to arrange. Having said that, I expect 6 feet of snow to hit us within a fortnight!!

Games to catch on Saturday 15th February.

It’s all up for the cup this week as teams battle for a place in the quarter finals of the Herald Cup, and what an offering is available to grassroots supporters. Premier Division East Allington United welcome Division One’s top team Plymouth True Blues to Poole Lane in what should be a difficult game for both teams. Another Plymouth based team in Phoenix get the experience of visiting Long Lane to face a Watcombe Wanderers team determined to keep a cup run going. There is an all Division One tie between Bovey Tracey Reserves and Ivybridge Town Reserves and down at Loddiswell, two of the bottom three in the top division clash in the cup when Beesands Rovers play Chudleigh Athletic in a game where the winning team will get a boost of confidence to take back to their league fixtures. The cup would not be the cup without a banana skin game and there are two on offer. Premier Division Waldon Athletic travel to Division Three outfit South Brent with no doubt a brief to avoid any trainspotting during the game, and Kingsteignton Athletic will be taking nothing for granted when Division Two side Liverton United visit Broadpark . Buckfastleigh Rangers host Paignton Saints for the second time in a week in an all Premier Division tie at Duckspond. But my game of the day is not in the cup, it is the Premier Division clash at Osborne Park between Newton Abbot ’66 and Newton Abbot Spurs Reserves where it really is a don’t lose game for both teams; the last meeting, just two weeks ago, went the way of Spurs who won 3-nil and put ’66 out of the Belli Cup, so I am sure that Mr. Clenahan and Mr. Feaver will make sure their teams have their eyes on the prize for this game. All cup games kick off at 2pm with the Newton Abbot derby starting at 2.30pm.

Enjoy your grassroots football.

south brent fc

WBB in discussions to salvage season

TORBAY CLEARANCE SERVICES, SOUTH DEVON FOOTBALL LEAGUE. WEEKLY MATCH REPORTS 25th JANUARY, report by Alastair Muirden. Photo of South Brent (Div 3), who almost folded but came back from the brink, contributed by SDFL

It is always disappointing to have to report of the demise of any team and, not for the first time this season, another club, in Watts Blake Bearne, have decided that it’s time to call it a day and have given the SDFL notice to withdraw. The rules state that they must now enter a period of discussion with the league management to try to save the club who have 35 registered players. They will be given four weeks without fixtures to attempt to reset and complete the season.

Storm Eowyn also played a part in this weeks grassroots football, knocking out 12 of the 25 games that were due to be played, but in the 13 that were played, there were plenty of goals and talking points. It’s as you were at the top of the Premier Division position-wise, but Ilsington Villa were held to a 1 – 1 draw by Waldon Athletic in a game that would not have been out of place in the pyramid; Jack Langford was again on target for the Moorlanders, but it was not enough to win the game, and the Torquay-based team remain in 3rd place just 2 points off the lead. In fact, only 4 points separate the top 4 teams in what is turning out to be a very tight title race. Sandwiched between these two, on goal difference, are Newton Abbot ’66 who had a massive scare at Beesands Rovers; in the end, goals from Ashley Dove, Callum Foskett and Joe Clarke Farley cancelled out the 2 home team goals to keep Sixes in the mix. Buckfastleigh Rangers have also moved into a challenging position with a 2-nil win at Paignton Saints; Tyler Wark was the Rangers hero with both goals. The win puts Rangers into fourth place just 4 points shy of ’66, with a game in hand. East Allington United finally secured their first win in 2025 by beating Elburton Villa Reserves by 6 goals to 2 in a game where the venue was switched on Saturday morning, by the hosts, to ensure that it went ahead, so well done to the management at Villa for being proactive; Finley Bullen moved up the golden boot ranks by netting 4 goals with singles from Dan Hurrell and Fred Massey. This puts the Pirates towards mid-table and should help the Weeks family avoid any squeaky bum time this season.

In Division One, only two games survived and both were mid-table games; Newton Abbot Spurs Thirds continue on their rollercoaster of a season; this time, they were on the up with a 3 – 2 win at Paignton Villa thanks to a Toby Pullman hat-trick; and Buckland Athletic Reserves, who lead the mid-table pack, had a good 3 – 2 victory at Watcombe Wanderers, but they remain 7 points off the top four. Interestingly in this division, Paignton Villa only have 7 games left in the league and Plymouth Phoenix have 13 plus interest in 3 cups; one reason is that Phoenix have been fixtured twice to play Brixham AFC Reserves and WBB who are both on a short leave from league games as they continue to work with the league to keep their teams afloat.

In Division Two, Babbacombe Corries moved into second place with a fantastic 5 – 3 victory against league leaders Barton Athletic; Keiron Sweet bagged a brace and there were singles from Jack Cole, Joshua Easterbrook and James Thompson; that put Corries 6 points from top spot with 2 games in hand, and Barton only have 8 games to play, so they could need to win 7 of them for a top two place. Mount Gould remain favourites with 14 games remaining and were victims of the wet weather. East Allington Seconds are also in contention and have games in hand; a comfortable 5 – 1 home win versus Newton Rovers sees them move up to 6th place. At the other end of the table, Ipplepen Athletic Seconds and Buckfastleigh Rangers Seconds remain a few points from safety; the Pens lost 5-nil at home to Paignton Saints Seconds and Rangers put up a fight at Watcombe Wanderers Seconds but lost 4 – 3 in the end.

The big game in Division Three saw Ashburton and Stoke Gabriel TP share the points in a 2 – 2 draw; Daniel Treseze scored both the goals for the home team who also had a substitute sent off in what must have been a short spell on the pitch. In the only other game to be played in this division, South Brent picked up a valuable win that gives them a bit of a cushion over the bottom two, Paignton Saints Thirds and Brixham Town Seconds, who were both rained off.

In Division Four, Templer Way closed the gap at the top but used another game; they are now 5 points from Kingskerswell who have played two games less. They had to work hard to overcome Kingsbridge and Kellaton United, a 4 – 3 scoreline with goals from Bradley and JJ Breslen, with another single for Alfie Moffatt, keeps Templer in the mix for second place; they also finished the game with ten players. Paignton Villa Thirds also had a good win; a 4 – 3 victory at home to Broadhempston United sees them safely into mid-table and Broadhempston just 6 points above the bottom two, and Kingsbridge have 3 games in hand. Earlier, I mentioned the number of games that some teams have left to play; in Division Four, Waldon Athletic Thirds have just 2 league games to play to complete their season whilst Templer Way and Barton Athletic Seconds have 3 games left.

The Fixture Secretary has reported that compared with recent seasons, the league fixtures are in a fairly healthy position with only 3 or 4 teams out of 59 two or three fixtures behind.

Games to catch on Saturday 1st February:

The divisional cups get under way providing all clubs with the shortest route to winning a trophy.

An absolute belter in the Belli Cup, and my game of the day is a repeat of last seasons Herald Cup semi-final and a local derby at Osborne Park where Newton Abbot ’66 and Newton Abbot Spurs lock horns at 2pm.

In Division One’s Dartmouth Cup, can Watcombe Wanderers overcome The Windmill in what will be a tricky test for the Plymouth outfit?

The Division Two, the knockout competition offers another local derby in Barton Athletic versus Watcombe Wanderers Seconds at Paignton Community College.

The Ronald Cup for Division Three teams sees Liverton United Seconds travel to the Manadon sports hub to play Drake FC in a fixture that normally keeps on giving.

And in the Division Four cup at Bakers Park, Newton Rovers Seconds meet Templer Way in what could be an interesting game as the visitors are looking for some silverware in their first season in the competition.

All cup games kick off at 2pm. 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 rovers fc south devon football league divisdion two

Ilsington Villa Close the Gap on the Top Two

TORBAY CLEARANCE SERVICES, SOUTH DEVON FOOTBALL LEAGUE. WEEKLY MATCH REPORTS 26th OCTOBER, report by Alastair Muirden. Photo contributed by SDFL

With both Waldon Athletic and Newton Abbot ’66 having a free weekend in the league, it gave the chasing pack an opportunity to catch up at the top of the Premier Division; Ilsington Villa got back to winning ways with a 3 – 1 home win against Elburton Villa; goals from Daniel Langford and Jamie Beer were enough to put the champions into third place, three points off the top with a game in hand.

Newton Abbot Spurs Reserves are making good progress up the league; a five-nil win at Totnes and Dartington is an excellent scoreline that puts Spurs into fourth place, six points behind with two games in hand, and the result drops Totnes into a respectable fifth place. The other team moving upwards is East Allington United although they have four games in hand already; they have only lost once, and a hard fought two-nil win at Paignton Saints, thanks to goals from Joe Sita and Ben Tapper, keeps the Pirates in the mix in what is turning out to be a great competition this season. A third win on the bounce for Kingsteignton Athletic has moved them clear of the bottom three; a one-nil win at local rivals Chudleigh Athletic, thanks to a solitary goal from Nick Garrett, leaves the home team third from bottom with Elburton Villa Reserves and Beesands Rovers below them. Beesands came a cropper at Buckfastleigh Rangers who blew hot this week; a 4 – 1 win for the home team leaves the Bees searching for a second win of the season that would give some confidence to the players.

In Division One, Phoenix, True Blues and Bovey Tracey Reserves march on at the top with impressive wins; Phoenix remain two points clear at the top; a 4 – 1 win at Buckland Athletic Reserves, with goals from JJ Honeywell, David Moore, Taylor Owen and Grant Craven, keeps the momentum upwards for the pre-season favourites. True Blues probably had the result of the day in Division One; an 8 – 1 win at Brixham Town, who lost for only the second time this term, is a very good result and almost as good as the overhead kick from Danny Wright that has been doing the rounds on social media this week. Bovey Tracey also enjoyed success on the road; a 5 – 1 win at WBB thanks to an all round great team performance keeps them well placed to disrupt the Plymouth dominance in what is a good division. In fourth place are The Windmill FC who were held to a 1 – 1 draw at Watcombe Wanderers and lose a bit of ground on the top three, the home team proving that Long Lane is not just a difficult drive; you need to turn up when the game starts. Paignton Villa also had another good result which sees them up to fifth place; a 2 – 1 home win versus Ivybridge Town Reserves leaves the visitors second from bottom after just missing out on promotion last season.

Last week, I reported that Division Two was officially a two horse race, but that may have been premature; after this week’s results, I must admit it looks like a five horse race but only if the games in hand are turned into points. Barton Athletic were beaten for the first time this term; a 4 – 2 home defeat by Watcombe Wanderers Seconds, and a cracking game by all accounts, puts the Greens ten points off the top with three games in hand, and both of these teams will be up there come May. East Allington United Seconds are twelve points off the top with four games in hand and were held this week by bottom club Ipplepen Athletic Reserves in a 4 – 4 draw. And finally, Liverton United are thirteen points off the top with four games in hand; they enjoyed a 6 – 2 victory at Paignton Villa Seconds; strikes from Joshua Passmore-Tarpey, Jamie Passmore, Graham Mercieca and Stuart McAuley were good enough to get Livvy back to winning ways. The big game at the bottom went the way of the home team, Newton Rovers (pictured), who edged a niggly game by two goals to one against Buckfastleigh Rangers Reserves who swap places for now. The home team turned around a one-nil deficit at half time with goals from Jordan Bastow and a free-kick from Keelan Howart that evaded everyone to cross the line right at the end to give Rovers their first win of the season and delight the home supporters enjoying the fantastic new facilities at Bakers Park. Harbertonford are one of six teams within a point of each other clogging up the mid-table positions; they suffered a shock two-nil home defeat inflicted by Paignton Saints Seconds; the result moves Saints into one of those mid-table berths.

The top of the table clash in Division Three went to the home team; Ashburton moved two points clear of Drake FC with a fine 2 – 1 win in what was a great game for the neutral but not so good for the managers; the Plymouth-based team headed down the A38 with only their second loss of the season whilst Ashburton have yet to lose a league game. The other two teams in the top four both won; Elburton Villa Thirds were the big hitters this week, a fifteen-nil demolition job was inflicted on Brixham Town Seconds who have been given more accolades this week for not giving up and playing as well as they could for 90 minutes. Kingsteignton Athletic Reserves make up the top four after a 5 – 2 home win versus Totnes and Dartington Reserves with five players getting on the scoresheet: Louis Dickenson, Jason Jones, Finlay Lumgair, Stephen Payne and Mark Prowse all found the target for the Rams. Stoke Gabriel TP suffered a shock 4 – 1 home defeat by Waldon Athletic Seconds; it was their second loss of the season and leaves them seven points off the lead, but for Waldon, goals from Sean Finch, Tom Davies, Charlie Charlesworth and Charlie Uniackie move them away from immediate danger, and finally in Division Three, a word for South Brent FC; four weeks ago, they gave notice to withdraw from the competition; a quickly arranged discussion with the league management resulted in them being given four weeks with no games or penalties during that period with an advertising campaign to attract a new manager and players. Four weeks later, they have a new manager and have registered 15 new players. Despite playing together for the first time, they won three-nil against Paignton Saints Thirds; Brent remain bottom of the table but the future looks good at Palstone Park, and the other teams in this division will have two more games to play during the season instead of two free Saturdays had they folded. Well done to Chris Hill and the volunteers at Brent.

The top of Division Four in the Torbay Clearance Services league is currently shared by three teams on 18 points; Kingskerswell FC continue to impress at this level; a 7 – 1 home win against Templer Way keeps their momentum going, and top scorer Josh Clarke hit another four goals to add to his own impressive total at the moment. Chudleigh Athletic Seconds are level on points with Kerswell; a 5 – 2 win at Broadhempston United is a very good result; strikes from Christian Williams, Oliver Bradley and Ben Hamilton-Hill were enough to win the points for the visitors; Teign Village remain in third place, but they suffered a shock 4 – 1 home defeat by Newton Rovers Reserves in a niggly game that sees Rovers into mid-table and enjoying some better results than they have had for a few seasons. Such was the disappointment of the defeat at the Village, they put the beer prices up to £1.90 a pint in the social club to deter the Rovers supporters from celebrating too much; did it work? I will let you decide. Waldon Athletic Thirds also had a good day at the office and moved off the bottom of the division; a 4 – 1 victory over local rivals, thanks to goals from Phoenix Watts, Theo Boyd, Kylan Kurup and Ezekiel Nugent, gives the Clarets their first taste of victory this season.

Games to catch on the 2nd November.

Just the one Premier Division game this week as the county cups once again take up two weeks of league fixtures. Your Premier fix can be found at Broadpark where Kingsteignton Athletic welcome Totnes and Dartington which should be an entertaining affair; in Division One, who does not like a derby and a fisherman’s derby at that? Well worth a watch at Wall Park will be Brixham AFC versus Brixham Town. The big game in Division Two is at Long Lane where Watcombe Wanderers Seconds lock horns with table toppers Barton Athletic who will need to be at their best to get past the Greens.

Enjoy your grassroots football.