Ilsington Villa’s Jack Langford joined brother Dan on the score-sheet in a 4-1 victory over Barton Athletic Reserves in the Lidstone Cup final. ©Al Macphee/MiraclePR

Kingsteignton Athletic collected their fourth trophy of the season – the Dartmouth Cup sponsored by PKF Francis Clark – last Tuesday evening with a hard-fought extra-time victory over Chudleigh Athletic at the Duckspond, Buckfastleigh. Ilsington Villa then wrapped up the season with a 4-1 victory in the Lidstone Cup final.

Mark Voisey had the first attempt on goal, his shot deflected wide after seven minutes, but it was Chudleigh who drew first blood, three minutes later. Gavin Hammon whipped in a corner from the left which went in off the shoulder of Henry Buckpitt. Kingsteignton defender Kelsey Leech had a good chance to get Kingsteignton on terms after 15 minutes, but his header was somehow cleared off the line. A minute later and the almost-hero Leech became an almost-villain as his back-header came perilously close to sneaking in to the bottom right corner. Buckpitt was the first player to have his name taken by the referee before Rams captain Jason Jones, under pressure from a marauding group of Chudleigh forwards, coolly chested the ball back to Jay Osborn. Kingsteignton then piled on the pressure five minutes from time, as they looked to go into the dressing rooms level. Chudleigh looked to have survived the onslaught when Lewis Plackett drove a shot at goal in first half stoppage time. Chudleigh blocked the initial effort but the ball came out to Voisey who found the back of the net.

The second half started in end-to-end fashion, Tom Reeves heading into the grateful arms of Toby Harvey following a Plackett free-kick, and Osborn forced to tip over a Chudleigh effort at the other end. Two minutes after that, Reeves tried to slip Voisey through, but Harvey was alert to the danger and got there first. But the Chudleigh ‘keeper could do nothing to prevent Kingsteignton taking the lead moments later. Reeves’ cross from the left was expertly brought down by Sam Barnes who dragged back the ball and then curled it past Harvey into the net. The next real chance, on 64 minutes, saw Louis Dickinson through on goal, but Louis Hooper bravely blocked his path. Seven minutes later, Dickinson’s shot from the edge of the box cleared the bar. The Rams came close to a third with 15 minutes left, substitute Ollie Kewell’s fierce shot from the left touched over the bar by Harvey. Barnes headed the resultant corner over. Three minutes later, Chudleigh were back on terms. Matt Briant’s free-kick was helped on by Buckpitt to captain Joseph Long. He pulled the ball back to the unmarked Matthew Williams who blasted the ball home. Plackett had Kingsteignton’s final chance of normal time, a curled effort that was well watched and caught by Harvey with three minutes left on the clock. A minute before the end, Chudleigh headed wide following a Briant free-kick from the left.

The turning point came nine minutes into extra-time, sub Aaron Paget felled in the box. The familiar sight of Barnes stepping up to the penalty spot was followed by the equally familiar sight of Kingsteignton celebrations as Barnes tucked the ball into the bottom left despite Harvey diving the right way. Paget was looking increasingly dangerous and almost fashioned himself a chance three minutes after the re-start. But a good tackle by Hooper sent him crashing to the deck again, the referee rightly deciding against a second penalty. Four minutes later, it was all over for Chudleigh. Barnes’ shot was blocked by Long, but it took a cruel deflection off the Chudleigh skipper and looped over Harvey and into the back of the net. Chudleigh fought to get a goal back, firing wide moments later, but Paget was still causing problems at the other end, and Harvey was forced into a robust block tackle to prevent another goal attempt. Buckpitt went beyond robust with his challenge on Barnes two minutes from time, and he was duly sent off by the referee. As the game inched into stoppage time, Chudleigh did get the ball into the net, but a collision between players in the build-up meant the goal wouldn’t stand. The final whistle followed shortly after that incident and the celebrations could finally begin for Steve Workman’s ‘quad squad’.

Three days earlier, the Rams lifted the Robert Williams Estate Agents Devon Senior Cup with a slightly flattering 3-0 win at Coach Road, Chudleigh the opponents again. Chudleigh looked the sharper of the two sides, especially in the first quarter, and were unlucky to not get a goal in the first minute when a Hammon shot from the left beat Osborn before bouncing back into his arms off the far post.

Kingsteignton were much better after the break, yet still had to rely on the woodwork and a superb tip-over from Osborn to stay level. As Chudleigh legs tired, Workman brought on the pacey Kewell up front, and that substitution, just like the introduction of Paget in the Herald Cup final, swung the balance in the Rams’ favour.

With just over ten minutes remaining, Kewell drove home an effort from the edge of the box to break the deadlock. Five minutes later, and Herald Cup penalty scorer Barnes was given another opportunity to deliver from 12 yards. Once again, he hit a confident shot that gave Harvey no chance. With the game entering stoppage time, Reeves dealt Chudleigh a final blow, powering through the defence and firing home high into the net.

The result was also another win for the South Devon Football League, who’s representative clubs have scooped two of the three men’s county cups this season.

Brixham Town became the first Torbay Clearance Services SDFL team to celebrate a league and divisional cup double last Friday night, when they won 3-1 at Watts Blake Bearne Reserves in a winner-takes-all league clash. Goals from Dan Beech, Shane Pike and Jack Thomson saw Town over the line with only two points dropped all season.

Fin Bullen of East Allington United cemented his status as the Premier Division’s top goalscorer with a goal in his side’s 4-4 draw at Watts Blake Bearne. That strike was goal number 31 for the Pirates’ young goalscorer.

Dan Langford, who plays for Division Two champions Ilsington Villa, is the league’s overall top goalscorer though. He bagged his half century as unbeaten Villa ended their league season with a 3-3 draw at Watcombe Wanderers Reserves. He also scored in the Coast and Country Estate Agents Lidstone (Division Two) Cup final on Friday night at Halford, Liverton United.

Villa went ahead against Barton Athletic Reserves following their first attack, Jack Dixon finding himself inside the area and beating the goalkeeper at his near post with a left-footed strike. The rest of the half was an evenly-contested midfield battle, but Jack Langford doubled Villa’s advantage just before half-time. As the Barton defence retreated, the midfielder unleashed a shot from the edge of the box which beat the ‘keeper to his right.

Jamie Beer crossed from the left to set up Villa’s third goal in the second half, a Matt Warman header, but shortly afterwards they were dealt a blow when left-back Hayden Binmore brought down Charlie Uniacke, who had broken free of the Villa defence, and was shown the red card. The man advantage gave Barton renewed hope. As they pushed men forward, Uniacke brought the ball inside and hit a right-footed curler past Connor Gibson to reduce the deficit. As Barton, on top by this stage, continued to press for a second, the league’s top goalscorer Dan Langford broke away at the other end, slotting home his 51st goal of the season to put the result beyond doubt.

Villa Club Secretary Adam Rousell said, “Adding the Lidstone Cup to the Division Two final was a great way to wrap up the season and mark our 50th season.”

The last word in the league had gone to Ivybridge Town Development on the Monday night. They wrapped up a superb debut season with a 7-0 thrashing of Watcombe Wanderers Thirds, finishing just four points off the top of Division Four, and with two cup trophies in the cabinet.