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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.

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.

ilsington villa torbay clearance services sdfl charity shield winners

Silverware for Villa in SDFL opener

The big kick off has arrived as quickly as summer came and went. 60 teams and 2,000 registered players start the long campaign of another football season hoping to bring honours and silverware to their clubs.

For last season’s league and cup winners, the challenge is clear: retain those honours; for the promoted teams, can you make a mark in a higher division? For relegated teams, win some games and rebuild confidence and, for the new teams joining the league, remember it’s a marathon, not a sprint.

When looking at the divisions, the Premier and Division One are very strong, if not equal, and the new teams that have joined from the Plymouth and West Devon league have added some extra spice to what should be a strong competition. No teams from the South Devon League moved into the football pyramid last season, but that could change over the next two years as the competition improves and the players get used to travelling a bit further afield on a Saturday.

The season officially kicked off last Friday with the Torbay Clearance Services sponsored Charity Shield fixture at Homers Heath that turned out to be a very tight affair that swung one way then the other to the enjoyment of the large crowd. An end to end first half ended in a stalemate, but just as Ilsington Villa stepped up a gear in the second half, they got caught with a breakaway from the Newton Abbot ’66 forwards; the first shot on target produced a great save from the Ilsington Villa ‘keeper, but he could not hold on to the ball and Liam Ashwell was first to the rebound and put the Sixes in front. From the kick off, the Moorlanders stepped up another gear and began to take control of the game, and it did not take game changer Luke Pilkington and last season’s club top scorer Dan Langford very long to put Ilsington in front, and whilst Sixes were still in the game, victory seemed beyond them, and they were not able to add the Charity Shield to the Herald Cup that was won last season. So the South Devon League charity shield sponsored by Torbay Clearance Services will no doubt be on display at the Carpenters Arms. Of course, the big winner on the night was the players’ Benevolent Fund which benefited by some £500, and the league would like to thank everybody that supported this great event as the season opener.

ilsington tcs south devon football league charity shield winners

At the start of every season, most people make predictions and give their thoughts on how their teams are going to finish, so for what it’s worth, here are my thoughts for the top five in each division. And in no particular order:

Premier. Ilsington Villa. Newton Spurs Second. Kingsteignton Athletic. Paignton Saints. Elburton Villa Seconds.

Div One. Plymouth Phoenix. Plymouth True Blues. Ivybridge Town Seconds. Windmill FC. Bovey Tracey Seconds.

Div Two. Mount Gould. Watcombe Wanderers Seconds. Barton Athletic. Liverton United. East Allington United Seconds.

Div Three. Ashburton. Liverton United Seconds. Stoke Gabriel TP Seconds. Drake FC. Waldon Athletic Seconds.

Div Four. Kingskerswell. Chudleigh Athletic Seconds. Waldon Athletic Thirds. Teign Village. Broadhempston United.

Looking through the opening day fixtures it is hard to pick a game that is not worth watching but here are some that catch the eye.

In the Premier Division, Paignton Saints host Buckfastleigh Rangers at Coach Road, and Waldon Athletic welcome Newton Spurs to Windmill Hill; both are tough games to call. Champions Ilsington Villa have to wait until 7th September to get their defence of the title underway, and last season’s runners up Morley Rangers have disbanded.

In Division One, every fixture has quality written all over it, but Windmill versus Plymouth True Blues will be a colourful affair, and at Bovey Tracey, where the visitors WBB, freshly relegated from the Premier Division will be looking to get some early points on the board.

Division Two gives newly joined Mount Gould the chance to lay an early marker for their intent when they visit relegated Buckfastleigh Rangers Seconds, and at Halford, newly promoted Liverton United host newly relegated Upton Athletic.

Division Three looks like having a competitive season, and the stand out games on opening day are Drake versus Totnes and Dartington Seconds at Manadon all weather pitch and Elburton Villa Thirds against Liverton United Seconds at Haye Road.

In Division Four, Barton Athletic Seconds host new boys Templer Way, who are testing out Saturday football for the first time, at Barton Downs, and there is a local derby at Teign Village where Chudleigh Athletic are the visitors and have already won a pre season game at the village by 3 goals to 2, so it should be a close affair. All games kick off at 2.30pm, and the full fixture list is available on the menu above.

herald cup final 2022 windmill v kingsteignton

Summer Update

WE’RE BACK! The Windmill F.C., who reached the Herald Cup final in 2022, are rejoining the SDFL for the new season. Main photo ©Al Macphee/MiraclePR

Report by Alastair Muirden

The South Devon Football League continues to buck the trend in adult Saturday football. At the annual general meeting held at Buckland Athletic football club, 6 new teams were voted into the growing competition by the current member clubs.

Plymouth Pheonix, last season’s champions from the green city, have decided to test themselves against stronger opposition and the teams that finished in second and third behind them have also switched allegiance. The Windmill rejoin the South Devon League after a 2 year stint in the football pyramid and Plymouth True Blues, who are a branch of the Glasgow Rangers supporters club and have a fantastic support, are sure to add to the colour and occasion of a Division One football game.

Also joining them, but in Division Two are Mount Gould FC who disbanded their Devon League team after a mass player exodus to Ivybridge Town who will be playing in the Western League this coming season; the club have had to press the reset button and start from scratch in Division Two.

Kingskerswell FC have also reformed an adult team after a two year absence, and Sunday league outfit Templar Way will try their skills in Saturday football; both will play in Division Four.

The league will operate with 60 teams, which is an increase of 11 from two years ago, and cements its place as the second largest football competition in the county. It has also become an England FA accredited league during the last 12 months which is a credit to the league management committee who oversee the competition.

In addition to the five divisions, the league will have 7 cup competitions, one for each division and one for all reserve teams plus the Herald Cup which is the league’s flagship knockout competition. The league will have 2200 registered players that will be chasing trophies, and the first trophy they will be interested in is the traditional season opener, the Torbay Clearance Services Charity Shield; this seasons invitees are Herald Cup winners Newton Abbot ’66 who will face Premier Division champions Ilsington Villa at Buckland Athletic F.C. on Friday 16th August with a 7pm kick off. This will be a repeat of last season’s Herald Cup final which ’66 just edged, so the Moorlanders will be looking for revenge, and both teams will want to get their hands on some silverware to boost their hopes for the season ahead.

Most other teams will need to wait for the official first weekend of fixtures on Saturday 31st August.

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23/24 Premier Division winners – Ilsington Villa. Photo contributed by SDFL.
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23/24 Division One winners – Newton Spurs Reserves. Photo contributed by SDFL.

The league also had their presentation evening at Dainton Golf Club where an array of trophies were handed out by sponsors to league winners Ilsington Villa, Newton Abbot Spurs, Bovey Tracey, Watcombe Wanderers and Elburton Villa. Sporting trophies were won by Buckfastleigh Rangers, Harbertonford, Paignton Villa, Newton Abbot ’66 and Newton Rovers.

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Sixes Lift Herald Cup for First Time in 24 Years

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Divisional Cups: Villa Dispatch Rams as Fisherman Fight Back to Oust Bees

Ilsington Villa made amends for their 2022 Herald Cup semi-final defeat (pictured) by knocking Kingsteignton out of the Belli Cup. ©Al Macphee/MiraclePR

Despite a Saturday morning downpour 11 games went ahead and a big shout out to club volunteers who gave up their time to prepare the pitches for play, especially those who play on grass. Well done and thank you.

There were a number of divisional cup games scheduled, and in the Belli Cup, which is the knockout competition for Premier league teams, without doubt the game of the day featured the top two in the division. Kingsteington Athletic and Ilsington Villa have only met a couple of times in recent years, due to being in different divisions, but the games have always been a great advert for grassroots football and this game did not disappoint. In a pulsating first 45 minutes, Jason Jones was on target for the Rams just before the break, and having spent 10 minutes in the sin bin for dissent, Daniel Langford repaid his team-mates for letting them down by scoring his 13th goal of the season in as many games; he remains the team’s top striker. At the other end of the goal scoring chart, Darren Rowe, making only his fourth start for the Moorlanders, scored his first goal of the season to give his side a 2-nil lead, and it was enough to see Ilsington Villa progress into the second round. Also safely through to round two are Brixham AFC where a revival in fortunes seems to be happening. At 2-nil down, the home team looked to be going out of the cup, but three second half goals secured a 3 – 2 victory against a Beesands Rovers side that are going in the opposite direction; goals from Callum Glew (2) and Noah Green will have put some smiles on the faces of the Wall Park faithful.

In the league, only one Premier Division game went ahead, and East Allington took a giant step in their quest for status in the top division by beating fellow relegation candidates Chudleigh Athletic by 4 goals to 1. Robbie Chalk, Martin Finneron, and brothers Ben and Rob Tapper secured the points for the Pirates taking them 9 points clear of the bottom two who did not play.

In the Dartmouth Cup for teams in Division One, there was a straight forward 5-nil win for Brixham Town against Upton Athletic at Armada Park, and at Long Lane, Totnes and Dartington, who seem to be getting better every week, had a tremendous result in dispatching a very strong Watcombe Wanderers team by 5 goals to 2. Joshua Squires and Jack Whitby got two goals each and James Blackshaw scored a single. Sam Pyne and Keiron Dale were on target for the Greens but there is no doubt that the T and D team are a team to watch.

Only one league game was played, and Paignton Villa moved into mid table by beating Harbertonford by 3 goals to 2. Both these teams only have 6 league games to play but should be safe from the drop.

In Division Two, positions are starting to take shape at the top. Unbeaten Bovey Tracey Reserves remain in fourth place, but with games in hand, thanks to a 4 – 2 win against a stubborn Barton Athletic at Barton Downs. Lewis Perring scored twice with Clifford Walters and Mathew Churchill getting singles; that keeps Bovey on course for consecutive promotions. Also in the mix are pre-season favourites Paignton Saints Seconds. Having been relegated to make way for their first team, they are looking to be back where they should be, but of course that also depends on their first team moving up. A 5-nil win against bottom side Brixham Town Seconds has moved them into second place in a division where one point separates three teams.

In Division Three, only one game went ahead and Paignton Saints Thirds moved 8 points clear of the drop in an 11 goal thriller on the 3g at South Devon College against Newton Abbot ’66 Seconds.

Game of the day in Division Four went the way of Drake FC who remain unbeaten and are now five points clear at the top after an 8 – 1 win over an improving Broadhempston United team with Lewis Thomas scoring four and Callum Collings, Oliver Wells and Oliver Hodgson making short work of their Saturday afternoon. The other game played in this division was in the Les Bishop knockout competition where Chudleigh Athletic Seconds progressed to round two with a 5-nil win at South Brent; Lloyd Hitchins, Gavin Lake, George Nicholls, Christian Williams and Dan Martin all got on the scoresheet for the Maroons.

With another wet week of weather predicted, who knows what games will be played in the Torbay Clearance Services League but you can get up to date information on full time. Click TCSSDFL Fixtures on the menu bar.

My games to catch on Saturday 24th February are: in the Herald Cup at Osborne Park is a potential banana skin for Newton Abbot ’66 (Premier) versus South Brent (Div 3) or a relegation battle at Chudleigh where the visitors are WBB. There is a South Hams derby at Loddiswell where families come together for Beesands Rovers versus East Allington United. In Division One, two promotion candidates meet at Newton Rec where Spurs Seconds take on Ivybridge Town Reserves in a game that could open up a gap at the top, and at the top of Division Three, Totnes and Dartington Seconds welcome Liverton United where only two points separate them (at the moment). The stand out game in Division Four is between the top two: Drake FC host Kingsteignton Athletic Seconds and a home win could see silverware heading for Plymouth in their first season in the Torbay Clearance Services League. There are so many great games to catch and spring is just around the corner, so why not get out in the last of the winter weather and support your local football team.

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Champions End Leaders’ Run

2022/23 Double winners Kingsteignton Athletic have now won four on the spin. Photo © Al Macphee/MiraclePR. Report by SDFL.

At the top of the Torbay Clearance Services Premier Division, leaders Ilsington Villa finally surrendered their unbeaten run, losing by 3 goals to 2 to last season’s champions Kingsteignton Athletic.

Luke Manuell (2) and Joseph Long scored the goals that move the Rams up to fourth place. Daniel Langford and Jamie Soper replied for the hosts but it was not enough. Ilsington Villa stay top but only by 1 point, ahead of Morley Rangers who did not play. In the only other Premier game played, Newton Abbot ’66 came out on top in a feisty game against Waldon Athletic who finished the game with 10 players following a red card issued to Ashley Grimes; Sixes held on to their one-nil advantage to remain in mid table where there are a cluster of 5 teams within 3 points of each other.

In Division One, Ivybridge Town Reserves move into top spot following an excellent 2 – 1 win at fellow pace setters Brixham Town; Jayden White and Matt Hill scored the goals that take the points back to Erme Valley. Watcombe Wanderers also had a successful afternoon, taking all 3 points at Paignton Villa, a result that moves them into fourth place and remain a tough team to beat. At the other end of the table, the bottom four teams played each other, and the only team to pick up maximum points were Babbacombe Corries who won 4 – 3 at Armada Park against Upton Athletic; Brendon Highfield scored a hat-trick and Alex Chaimberlain got the winner in a tense game on a sticky pitch. Both these teams will be moving to play at Steps Cross in the new year as the changing rooms at Armada Park are being demolished and rebuilt. In the other game at the bottom, Harbertonford and Buckfastleigh Rangers Seconds shared the points in a 2 – 2 draw, a result that probably feels like a win for the Fords; Sebastion Looker and James Thomas were the scorers.

Division Two is turning into a five horse race with 2 points separating the teams; Barton Athletic stay on top after a 7-nil demolition of Waldon Athletic Seconds at Paignton College; Paignton Saints Seconds also stay on course with a 2-nil win at Newton Rovers, and it was one of a number of games that went ahead with a stand in referee due to the shortage of officials at all levels of football; unfortunately, the Torbay Clearance Services League takes the brunt of the shortage as they have to help higher leagues fulfil their own fixtures with three officials whilst managing to play a large number of games in this competition with no referees where the difference in the standard is minimal. The league management committee recently held a training session for stand in club volunteers to take charge of games and another one is planned for the new year as the situation with referees is not improving.

In Division Three of the Torbay Clearance Services League, Ashburton failed to close the gap on leaders Watcombe Wanderers Seconds, losing 2 – 1 at home to Newton Abbot ’66 Seconds in a surprise result; the points move Sixes away from the dreaded drop zone whilst leaving the hosts 6 points off the leaders who were in County Cup action. The other game played in this division was at Loddiswell where bottom team Kingsbridge and Kellaton welcomed second from bottom Paignton Saints Thirds, and at one stage in the game, the home team looked nailed on for their first win of the season; with 1 minute of the first half to play, they were leading 2-nil. Within 2 minutes of the restart, they were 3 – 2 behind and whilst they had chances they just fell short. Billy Reay was the difference for Saints who added a fourth to move them out of the relegation spots, but they wont be taking anything for granted as they have already played more than half of their league games and the teams around them have games in hand; a big well done is due to Tina Thomas of Kingsbridge and Kellaton who spent her Saturday morning marking the pitch, putting the nets up and getting the changing rooms ready so that the game could be played, all of that while her husband Andy is in hospital; true dedication from a South Devon League stalwart, and I am sure the players appreciate it.

In Division Four, whilst most of the clubs were in County Cup action, Chudleigh Athletic Seconds took full advantage by recording the highest score so far by beating a young Watcombe Wanderers Thirds by 13 goals to nil; the result puts them into second place with the best goal difference in the division; Lloyd Hitchins scored 5 goals against his old club with Charlie Forey, James Bowden, Lois Hooper, Gavin Lake, Joe Potter, Gavin Martin and Thomas Stoppard finding the net for Chudleigh.

As we prepare for the last full league program in the Torbay Clearance Services League before the winter break, there are some great recommended fixtures to catch and they are sure to beat Christmas shopping:

The weather-delayed Herald Cup game between Bovey Tracey Seconds and Newton Abbot Spurs Seconds kicks off at 2pm at the Western Counties Ground and should be a Christmas cracker. In the Premier Division, at the bottom of the table, Chudeigh Athletic welcome bottom club Brixham AFC Reserves in a game where a win for the home team could make a massive difference to what division they play in next season.

The big game in Division One is at Homers Heath where Buckland Athletic Seconds take on Brixham Town who will want to keep pace with the top three. The stand out game in Division Three is at Chuley Road, Ashburton; the visitors, Watcombe Wanderers Seconds, will be looking to extend their lead at the top against the second placed hosts. Finally, in Division Four, and possibly game of the day, is in Plymouth between Elburton Villa Thirds and Drake FC, both teams playing below the level that you would expect to see in this division, meet for the first time in the competition at Haye Road in a league game that kicks off at 2.30pm

Just a reminder that you can check all of the other games being played on Full Time Enjoy your Saturday afternoon supporting grassroots football.

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11 Goals at Lewthorne Cross as Villa Edge Rangers

Tom Reeves scored three as Kingsteignton move up the gears. Photo © Al Macphee/MiraclePR. Report by SDFL.

In the Premier Division, the moorland machine that is Ilsington Villa continues to plough through the opposition. The latest team to visit Lewthorne Cross and come away with nothing were last season’s runners-up Buckfastleigh Rangers who scored 5 goals, but conceded 6 to a team that finished third in Division One last season.

Buckfastleigh were winning 5 – 2 at half time, but a hat-trick from Dan Langford and 2 from Matt Goodwin keeps the moorlanders top of the table with the only 100% record in the Premier Division. Elsewhere in this division, Morley Rangers stay in second place following a scare at bottom club Brixham AFC Reserves. Dalton Brammer and Jack Tribble made sure of the points for the Plymstock team in a 3 – 2 victory. Beesands Rovers cemented their place in third following a fine 3 – 1 win at Osborne Park against Newton Abbot ’66. Last season’s champions in the Torbay Clearance Services Premier League, Kingsteignton Athletic, are finding their feet after a tricky start; a 4-nil win at home to Waldon Athletic makes a statement to the new boys. A hat-trick for Tom Reeves and a single for Matt Williams puts them up to fourth. Elburton Villa have moved into fifth place following a comfortable 3-nil home win against a young Chudleigh Athletic team who lost their manager during the week and no doubt some players.

In Division One, the match of the day between Newton Abbot Spurs Reserves and Watcombe Wanderers had to be abandoned following a serious injury to Spurs player Ben Frost. All of the South Devon Football League family wish Ben a speedy recovery. The other big game in this division took place at Homers Heath where two of last season’s Devon League teams met for the first time in the Torbay Clearance Services Division One. Paignton Saints moved into third place with a 4-nil win against Buckland Athletic, and Brixham Town remain in second place with a comfortable 6-nil win at Buckfastleigh Rangers Seconds. A big well done to Babbacombe Corries who picked up their first win of the season at home to Upton Athletic; Brendon Highfield scored both of Corries’ goals which moves them out of the relegation zone. As expected, this is going to be a very tight division with 5 teams looking to reach the Premier Division next season.

In Division Two, the top 2 met on the 4G at Coach Road, and it was Paignton Saints Seconds that came out on top in a 5 goal thriller; and they move 3 points clear at the top of another very tight and competitive division; Newton Abbot Spurs Thirds and East Allington United Seconds fought out a 2 – 2 draw and remain in second and fourth respectively; Joel Patchet and Jack Taylor were on target for the young Spurs who are going well. Newton Abbot Spurs are in a small select group of clubs that manage to put out 3 teams in the Torbay Clearance Services League at a time where a lot of clubs struggle to get 11 players out on a Saturday; how can Spurs, Waldon, Watcombe, Paignton Saintsa and Paignton Villa manage to put out at least 33 every Saturday? One thing is for sure: it doesn’t just happen without the hard work and dedication of volunteers behind the scenes working their socks off for grassroots football; so a big thank you and well done. Also, well done to Brixham Town Seconds who picked up their first point of the season with a 3 – 3 draw at home to WBB Seconds.

Division Three is also proving to be a competitive division, with Stoke Gabriel TP slipping up at Ashburton by 3 goals to nil courtesy of Dan Grute, Dan Wordsworth and Brandon Hext; this allowed Watcombe Wanderers Seconds to go 6 points clear with a 6-nil win at home to Teign Village; Adam Townsend got a hat trick with Mike Fieldhouse, Simon Ross and Ellis Kendall scoring for the Greens; South Brent also remain in contention with a 7 – 1 win at Paignton Villa Seconds, plus they have games in hand on the 5 leading teams.

Division Four returned to normal service with Drake FC returning to the top spot with a 7 – 1 victory at Paignton Villa Thirds; Callum and Louis Thomas got the scoring underway with Ashley Walker and Spike Nicholls scoring one each; Ben Webster and Alex Hambly scored late on to complete a comfortable afternoon. Elburton Villa Thirds are hot on their heals and a 5 – 1 win at Chudleigh Athletic Seconds will restore confidence in the young team; Kingsteington Athletic Seconds also remain at the top end of the table following a 3-2 win at South Brent Seconds; Sam Arthurs and Ashton Hogarth got the scoring underway with Louis Dickinson rolling back the years and remembering where the goal is. And finally, congratulations to Barton Athletic Seconds who picked up their first win of the season with a 2 – 1 win against fellow strugglers Newton Rovers Seconds. With 135 goals scored across the Torbay Clearance Services South Devon Football League, it proves that the grassroots football grounds of south Devon are the perfect place to spend your Saturday afternoon.

Pick of the games on the day the clocks change are in the Premier Division; Buckfastleigh Rangers host in form Beesands Rovers and Newton Abbot ’66 host Morley Rangers at Osborne Park; in Division One, the 2 stand out games are at Ivybridge Town Reserves who welcome Newton Abbot Spurs Seconds and up at Long Lane there should be a cracker when Watcombe Wanderers play Brixham Town. In Division Two, Newton Abbot Spurs Thirds host Ipplepen Athletic Seconds at Chuley Road; Ashburton and Newton Rovers will be looking to upset leaders Paignton Saints Seconds at Bakers Park. The stand out game in Division Three is Stoke Gabriel TP Seconds versus Liverton United whilst South Brent host Totnes and Dartington who both were promoted last season; and finally, in Division Four, Kingsteignton Athletic Seconds host South Brent Seconds in what should be a lively encounter. If none of these take your fancy, have a look at the Torbay Clearance Services South Devon League full-time website where you will find a list of all the games, and they all kick off at 2.30pm. Enjoy your weekend and support your local grassroots team.