TORBAY CLEARANCE SERVICES, SOUTH DEVON FOOTBALL LEAGUE. WEEKLY MATCH REPORTS 13th JANUARY, report by Alastair Muirden.
The Herald Cup took centre stage this week and did not disappoint; Ilsington Villa came out on top of the all Premier League game against a Beesands Rovers side playing without their top goalscorer, as he got himself sent off in the previous game; Jack and Daniel Langford were on target once again with super-sub Jamie Soper getting in on the act for a 3-nil victory for the Moorlanders to book themselves a quarter final place.
The biggest shock of the day was at Brixham Town who dispatched Premier League Waldon Athletic by 3 goals to 2 in a tight cup tie. Mark Griffiths rolled back the years with a hat-trick for Town, 2 of which came from the penalty spot. Buckfastleigh Rangers had a comfortable afternoon in the A38 derby at Chudleigh Athletic, booking their quarter final place in the Torbay Clearance Services sponsored Herald Cup with a 4-nil victory. Division Three outfit Liverton United found a trip to Plymouth, to take on Premier League Elburton Villa Reserves, too much of an ask on a bitterly cold afternoon; the game ended 5 – 1 to the home team. The delayed Second Round game between Division Three side Stoke Gabriel TP and Premier League strugglers East Allington United finally went ahead, and the South Hams favourites will be delighted not only to get a win under their belts but to score 6 goals without reply, and this will be a big confidence boost for the Pirates. The recommended game of the day was an absolute thriller; Division Two team Bovey Tracey Seconds hosted Division One side Newton Abbot Spurs Seconds and it was the away team who just scrapped into the next round with a 3 – 2 win; goals from Alistair Nixon (2) and Joe Bushin were enough to see off a Bovey team that finished the game with 9 players following two red cards. Totnes and Dartington also find themselves in the quarter final following a fine 2 – 1 win at Buckland Athletic Reserves; game-changer Joshua Squires scored both goals for a Dartington team having a very good season.
Whilst the cup games were being played, Kingsteignton Athletic continue their good run of results and move into second place in the Premier League and are now the main challengers to the current leaders; a 2 – 1 home win versus WBB, with goals from Jason Jones and Thomas Reeves, secured the points for the Rams. The wheels seem to have come off at Morley Rangers who, following a 3-nil loss at Newton Abbot ’66, slip to third and are now 4 points off the top.
Paignton Saints and Ivybridge Town Reserves go marching on at the top of Division One and are now 9 points clear of Newton Abbot Spurs in third place; a 10 – 1 win for Saints against Babbacombe Corries and a 5 – 2 win for Ivies at Upton Athletic makes the top of Division One happy reading for those teams. In the same division, there was a shock result at Harbertonford who beat promotion chasers Watcombe Wanderers by 2 goals to 1 thanks to a double strike from Seb Looker; the result puts the Fords into mid-table, and from where they were in terms of survival at the start of the season, this would seem to be a good place to be.
In Division Three, Watcombe Wanderers Seconds have opened up a 9 point lead thanks to a comfortable 6 – 1 win at Waldon Athletic Thirds; Simon Ross scored 4 goals with Charlie Tout and Ellis Kendall adding singles for the Greens; Totnes and Dartington Reserves lead the chasing pack and had a good afternoon with a 2 – 1 home win against Newton Abbot ’66 Reserves. There are now 7 teams within 6 points of each other in what is a very close division.
The top of Division Four is heating up with the top four all picking up 3 points and making for great competition. Kingsteignton Athletic Reserves still lead the way with a 4 – 1 victory at Broadhempston United; Ashley Heyworth, Ashton Hogarth and Sam Arthurs got the goals for the Rams. Plymouth side Drake FC remain unbeaten but in second place following an 11 – 2 demolition job at Newton Rovers Reserves; Spike Nicholls, Lee Pink and Callum and Lewis Thomas scored the goals. Chudleigh Athletic Reserves are third following a 7 – 1 win at Long Lane against Watcombe Wanderers Thirds, and Liverton United Seconds remain in fourth place with a 9-nil win at home to Barton Athletic Seconds who must have had a double take at the team sheet when they saw the Liverton line up for a game in Division Four.
There are some great games that are worth a watch this coming Saturday 20th January. 8 teams line up for the Fred Hewings Cup quarter finals; this is the knockout cup for reserve teams in the league. Watcombe Wanderers Reserves host Newton Abbot ’66 Reserves at Long Lane. Brixham Town Seconds host Totnes and Dartington Reserves at JC Park. Paignton Saints Reserves travel to Elburton Villa Thirds and Kingsteignton Athletic welcome Buckfastleigh Rangers Reserves; all have a 2pm KO. In the league, my games to catch are Buckland Athletic Seconds v Brixham Town and Watcombe Wanderers v Ivybridge Town Reserves, both in Division One, with all four teams having a vested interest in promotion; these games have a 2.30pm KO.