Post by Dave on Jul 16, 2022 7:49:14 GMT
Match Referee Mark Hickson, Assistants Eddie Green & Jorden Coley
Final Score Brixham AFC 1 Liskeard Athletic 1
Match Preview
I really enjoyed the time when the Peninsula League had a premier division and clubs like Stoke Gabriel played in it. I was able to cover games locally and enjoy seeing the best of the Cornish clubs on my doorstep. I only managed to cover one game last season featuring a Cornish side, Buckland Athletic V Helston Athletic.
I was not going to miss the opportunity to see a Cornish side in action today and even better one played at Walls Park. I have a great deal of time for Brixham AFC, a great club run by great people and the football played is as good as you will see anywhere at this level. The club continues to move forward and are always looking at ways to improve their ground.
Brixham came close last season to winning the league and were in with a good chance, but a few dropped points towards the end of the season saw Torpoint take the title and move up to the Western League. Will Brixham go one better this season? I would not like to bet against that happening.
Brixham played their first pre season friendly on Tuesday the 12th July against Tavistock Development AFC and won the game by five goals to two.
Liskeard played a pre season friendly away to Tavistock on Tuesday 5th July and lost the game by four goals to one. They were listed to play Ivybridge Town Reserves at home last Saturday, but I am unable to find out any information about that fixture.
It’s going to be a very hot afternoon for the players so expect a good number of water breaks. On this day 16th July 2016 I was also at Wall Park for a preseason game when Brixham faced Buckland Athletic and lost by four goals to nil.
davesworld.proboards.com/thread/583/brixham-buckland-16th-july-2016
Match Report
Firstly many thanks to Jason Couch from Brixham AFC and the lovely Janina Augustynowicz from Liskeard for taking the time to provide all the correct players numbers for me.
Boy was it a hot afternoon on a pitch that had been cut short, but looked scorched by the sun. Two sets of great lads who ran their socks off all game despite the heat which made this a very interesting game to watch. If it lacked anything it was goal action, but credit must be given to both defences who broke down so many of the attacks from both sides.
Match referee Mark Hickson blew his whistle to get the game underway and it was a very even affair to start with, plenty of tackles flying in as both teams fought for the ball.
The first real effort of goal happened when Brixham’s Ben Hopkins took a shot from just outside the right hand side of the Liskeard box. L. Gwillam in goal for Liskeard did well to tip the ball around the right hand post.
Brixham took an early lead in the match, they won a corner that was taken from the right hand side of the pitch. It was hit far too long and sailed over the heads of the Brixham forwards but was knocked back towards the near post where Tom Dunlop was able to force the ball home.
It did not take Liskeard long to get back onto level terms. The ball had come in and out of the Brixham box a number of times before being fired back in low again to T. Cleveland who turned and hit the ball on the volley past Grant Fisher and into the back of the net.
Liskeard started to get slightly on top and looked the most likely of the two sides to get the next goal. Brixham did have one good chance when they won a free kick just outside the box which pulled another fine save out of L. Gwillam.
Brixham then had another good chance to regain the lead when a high ball was played into the Liskeard box from the right hand side. Kieron Parkin got up well enough and got a good head on the ball, but it sailed over the crossbar.
Maybe due to the heat a number of players were moaning a bit to much for the referees liking and he looked at his watch and blew up for halftime. One fair complaint was the lateness in putting up the flag for offside, Liskeards T. Clifford could have been badly injured as he nearly crashed into the advancing Grant Fisher, this would not have happened if the flag had gone up much sooner.
The two teams were told before the start of the second half the flags would go up as soon as a player was offside, this is how it should be done and not the crazy way it is done now.
The half got underway and as both sides cancelled eachother out I could not see either team coming up with a winning goal. Liskeards H. Jeffery did hit a powerful twenty five yard effort that only just cleared the crossbar. It was end to end but most moves for both sides were breaking down just outside both boxes.
Reece Somers For Brixham thought he had got the winning goal for his side. The fishermen had won a free kick outside the box on the right hand side. The ball was fired high into the Liskeard box and Reece got a good head on it and the ball flew into the net. Not sure of the reason but the referee disallowed the goal.
Brixham’s Kieron Parkin was played in down the left hand side of the pitch deep inside the Liskeard half. He made his way into the box and when in the middle of hit turned and hit a powerful shot at goal. But once again L. Gwillam pulled off a great save low down.
Liskeard’s H. Jeffery was not to happy when he was sent to the sin bin, he was after all only asking the match referee a question. That was it really nothing much of note to write about in the remaining minutes.
An entertaining match and one a really enjoyed, many thanks to both sets of players for your warm and friendly welcome.
