TORBAY CLEARANCE SERVICES, SOUTH DEVON FOOTBALL LEAGUE. WEEKLY MATCH REPORTS 5th OCTOBER, report by Alastair Muirden. Photo contributed by SDFL
With no Premier league games being played due to the county cups being spread over a number of weeks, we are able to focus on what is becoming a great competition in Division One of the South Devon Football League.
Watts Blake Bearne were just a smidgen away from taking points from Windmill. Ryan Dodd was called up to play in goal after the regular ‘keeper was unavailable, and it was clear the defence were nervy in the opening exchanges, Wattsies had the better of the first 15 minutes and could have been two up had it not been for the crossbar and a goal line clearance, but straight from that brush with the woodwork, Windmill cleared their lines and a 50 yard sprint and cross by Harrison Jones found Louis Godwin who tucked away the opener for Windmill. From the kick off, WBB still looked the more likely team: Sam Pearce was running the midfield and Jake Moore seemed in control at the back, but it took them 25 minutes of hard slog to get the equaliser; it came from a long ball into the box and with the Windmill ‘keeper coming to the edge of his box to collect, Jamie Orchard beat him to the ball and headed it over him into the goal. The game was then end to end and became a bit niggly, but the referee did well to keep his cards in his pocket. With 5 minutes left ’til the break, there was one of those deja vu moments when Charlie Prior hit a long ball towards the Windmill penalty area only for the ‘keeper to come rushing to the edge of his box to collect it, only for Ryan Clarke to beat him to it and head the ball over him to make it 2 – 1 to the home team. The question was, could Wattsies hold out until the break? And the answer was, no: within 2 minutes of them taking the lead, those nerves when the ball was close to the ‘keeper were clear and when Windmill won a corner kick that the ‘keeper could not reach, Billy Eccles was on hand to tap in the equaliser.
The second half was end to end, and in games like these, you need a leader to keep the team focused and Windmill had that in Sam Doyle who was a threat in front of goal; he was certainly a different player in the second half; it was him who put the Plymouth team in front for the first time in the game with a low diving header half way through the second period and when WBB hit the crossbar again, you could see that today was not going to be their day; 10 minutes before the end, Andrew Parker, who must have given up his playing days at St Blazey, scored a fourth goal for the visitors and they remain well placed having only lost once so far this season. Man of the match: Sam Doyle.
Elsewhere in Division One, Paignton Villa came within two minutes of taking all three points at Plymouth True Blues who needed a 92nd minute penalty courtesy of William Stringer to rescue a point after Xander Navridge scored a great goal to put Villa in control. The point keeps True Blues at the top and Villa in fourth in what is a great league to play in. Bovey Tracey Reserves also left it late in their game at Brixham Town; they equalised with what was the last kick of the game to retain their unbeaten start to the season; they stay in third place, 3 points behind True Blues with a game in hand. Buckland Athletic Reserves picked up their second win of the season with a 4 – 1 home win over Newton Abbot Spurs Thirds who seem to have gone off the boil since their opening day win; Deven Webb was again on target for Spurs, but it is Buckland who join 4 other teams in mid table.
In Division Two, Mount Gould and Barton Athletic continue their winning start to the season; only two points separate them and the Plymouth team still have a 100% record following a 6 – 1 victory over bottom team Ipplepen Athletic thanks to a hat trick from Saddam Bello, a double from Joe Jasper and a single from Arron Spear – a good return in the second half considering it was 1 – 1 at the break. Barton had a routine 2-nil home win versus Paignton Saints Seconds and Harbertonford remain in third place following a 4 – 2 win against Newton Rovers; Seb Looker was again on the score sheet as was Alan Hamlet and Leo Golding. East Allington United Reserves have lost their 100% record in a disappointing 1-nil defeat at Babbacombe Corries; whilst they have games in hand, they are 10 points off the top which will take some catching. Well done to Buckfastleigh Rangers Seconds: they earned their first point of the season with a 2 – 2 draw against Upton Athletic in an entertaining game; the result leaves just Newton Rovers and Ipplepen Athletic as the only teams in Division Two yet to put points on the board.
Division Three is shaping up nicely; Drake FC became another team to surrender a 100% record. A Daniel Tresize hat trick and a single from Max Prestwood was more than enough for an improving Stoke Gabriel TP side that pulled a 4 – 1 win out of the hat over the league leaders. The win puts the Bees in fourth, 3 points off the top with a game in hand and leaves Ashburton as the only unbeaten team in this division; they had a close 2 – 1 home win versus Totnes and Dartington Seconds; Chris Morris and James Meekings scored the goals, but they had to hang on as they ended the game with less players on the field than they started with. The other game at the top in this division was at Broadpark where Kingsteignton Athletic Seconds got the better of Elburton Villa Thirds by 2 goals to 1. Goals from Ashley Heyworth and Ben Stephenson won the points for the Rams who stay in second place while Villa slip to fifth place. Liverton United got back to winning ways with a tight 2 – 1 home win over Waldon Athletic Seconds; Shane Essam and Stephen Rohan were on target against the team they used to play for and not surprisingly, things got a bit heated at times and Liverton also ended the game with 10 players.
Division Four is not so difficult to predict; both Chudleigh Athletic Seconds and Kingskerswell lead the way and Teign Village are still in the mix; all three picked up maximum points and two had the same scoreline. Chudleigh hit nine goals against Paignton Villa Thirds courtesy of Ben Hill and Daniel Martin, who got 5 between them; Gavin Lake, Kai Stocker, Wilson Bryce and Henry Stubbs secured the points to keep Athletic at the top. Kingskerwell also scored nine goals at Cricketfield Road versus Waldon Athletic Thirds to keep their 100% record and they have now scored 38 goals in four games. Teign Village remain in third place and manager Paul Edwards will be delighted with the progress they have made in the last 3 months; a 5 – 2 home win and a bit of revenge for an opening day defeat against Templer Way will give them a lot of confidence for the season. At the other end of Division Four, Barton Athletic Seconds picked up their first win of the season; a 2-nil win at Newton Rovers Seconds with strikes from Harry Lloyd and Mathew Ward was enough to move Athletic in the right direction.
Divisional Golden Boot Leaders for SDFL league games up to 01/10:
Premier Division. Craig Duff ( Waldon Ath. ) 5. Joe Clarke Farley ( Newton Abbot ’66 ) 4.
8 players on 3 goals.
Division One. Sam Pyne ( Watcombe Wanderers ) 5. Michael Storey ( True Blues ) 5.
6 players on 4 goals.
Division Two. Simon Ross ( Watcombe Wanderers ) 8. Liam Walton ( Barton Athletic ) 8.
James Houghton ( Babbacombe Corries ) and Joe Jasper ( Mount Gould ) both 7.
Division Three. Ashley Heyworth ( Kingsteignton Ath. ) 9. Ashley Walker ( Drake ) 9.
Louis George ( Drake ) 8.
Division Four.
Joshua Clarke ( Kingskerswell ) 12 from 3 games. Chris Bennett ( Templar Way ) 8.
Gavin Lake ( Chudleigh Ath ) 7.
Games to catch on Saturday 12th October:
As it is another county cup weekend, there are not so many league games, however:
In the Premier Division there is heavyweight tussle to consider: Buckfastleigh Rangers take on unbeaten Waldon Athletic, but my game of the day is in Division Four where the top two meet for the first time at Kingskerwell where the visitors are Chudleigh Athletic, and the way the scores have been going in this division, I don’t think it will be a nil-nil.
Enjoy your grassroots football.
