Post by Dave on Sept 17, 2022 7:24:30 GMT
Thank You Queen Elizabeth II
Match Referee Steve Luxon
Final Score Paignton Villa 2nd 2 East Allington 2nd 2
Match Preview
I have lost count how many times I have heard people saying grassroots football is dying. It is true that over the years many local clubs have folded for a whole host of reasons. One reason has been a lack at some clubs of people to help run the club, there has been cases where a club ended up with just one or two people left to run the whole club.
It is also true that a number of players have given up playing 11 aside football and have chosen to play other types of football such as seven aside etc. This meant some teams were not even able to raise a side and a number of games were lost last season for that reason. Costs have also played a big part in the decline of local leagues, pitch fees, match official fees and clubs playing in a league happier to fine clubs than actually help them.
I had a long chat with a SDFL official on Tuesday and felt more hopeful afterwards that changes will be made such as a new three strike rule that will mean clubs receiving a warning rather than an instant fine.
To me the romance of grassroots football was having village clubs like Abbotskerswell; a club founded by the Rev. Campbell in the early 1900’s, but sadly another one with such long history that folded last season.
But its not all doom and gloom as far as grassroots football is concerned, the SDFL still has a good number of well run clubs that have excellent people in the background running them. Brixham Town springs to mind and the ever growing Paignton Villa.
I had the pleasure at the end of last season to be a guest at the Paignton Villa presentation evening where I met and talked with many of the people helping to run the club. Their passion for the club and their love of the game of football stuck me the most along with the players love for the club whose shirts they wear proudly on match days.
Paignton Villa are bucking the trend, they have added a third adult male team new for this season , a new woman’s team and have 12 junior teams on the go. Its no wonder the club feel very proud of all their achievements.
The club has fully taken over Whiterock, it will be the home of the 2nd and 3rd teams along with the woman’s team. I remember before the start of last season visiting Whiterock just after the second group of travellers had left. The doors of the changing rooms had all been ripped off and no doubt damaged had been caused inside the building.
How lovely to see Villa players and others painting the block last Sunday, this is what Paignton Villa are all about.
I grew very fond of the 2nd team last season; it was Sam Coggers first season in charge of the club. The team got off to a poor start and come April they were bottom of the table. Neither Sam nor his players ever gave up and a wonderful late run saw the team finish in 7th place in the league table. Their last game off the season was at home to today’s opposition which they won by five goals to one. The team also made history for the club by being the first one to ever reach the final of The Fred Hewings Cup that took place on the 6th May. They played against a very talented and youthful Ivybridge Town 3rd side that won the match by five goals to one.
Report On That Game
davesworld.proboards.com/thread/1004/fhcf-ivybridge-town-paignton-villa
The team has made a much better start to the new season winning their opening game home against Stoke Gabriel and Torbay Police reserves by four goals to two. Sam and the lads will be looking to build on that early success knowing they are more than capable of beating East Allington reserves.
East Allington reserves would have put the result of their last game against Villa 2nd firmly behind them. They also have made a good start this season beating Newton Rovers 1st away by two goals to one. While it is still very early in the season this is a real six pointer game.
The last East Allington 2nd game I covered was a cup game on the 29th January away to Brixham Town 2nd which they lost by four goals to one.
Report on that game
davesworld.proboards.com/thread/987/fhcup-brixham-town-east-allington
Sam will be celebrating his 29th birthday today, mind you when I first set eyes on him with all the worry of how results were going I though he was about forty years old and even then I thought I was being kind. Can his team make the day even more special for him; they will do their best for sure.
Happy birthday Sam
Match Report.
A very enjoyable game of football to watch and how good it was to see a green pitch at last thanks to the magic of a bit of rain. A good crowd and some of them might have felt a draw was a fair result, but Sam the Villa manager might see it as two points dropped after his side at times dominated the play.
Both sides have clearly improved greatly since last season with a number of new players and both should do well this season if they keep playing the way they did today. Match referee Steve Luxon who had a superb game and had a smile on his face the whole game blew his whistle for the start of a minute’s silence for our queen.
He then got the game underway and East Allington flew out the traps and put immediate pressure on the Villa defence. But it was short lived and Villa got their passing game together and got back into the match.
Villa’s Charlie Thomas who had a superb match had the first effort on goal. A 25 yard strike then ended up going wide of the right hand post. Villa won a free kick on the halfway line and the ball was fired high into the Allington box. Ash
Villa’s Liam Jones another player who impressed hit a good low shot just outside the Allington box that Aaron Morrison in goal for Allington did well to get down and get a hand on the ball to steer it wide of the goal.
East Allington came very close to scoring the first goal of the match when they won a corner. The ball was fired into the box and at least three shots were fired close in but all of them ended up being blocked on the goal line.
Ash Beetschen then had a golden chance to put Villa in front. It was the sort of chance you just expect him to put away. But with just the keeper to beat he fired the ball straight at him when either side would have resulted in a goal.
The same can be said for Allington’s Aidan Corcoran who received a ball at his feet from the left hand side of the pitch. But after looking at my pictures it seems a good block was made by a Villa defender.
Villa then got the opening goal all their hard worked deserved. It was not just Sam’s birthday today; it was Jordan Hayman’s 26th birthday as well. He was in the right hand side of the Allington box when the ball was played to him. He looked up and fired a shot across the keeper into the left hand side of the goal.
Villa were passing the ball well, but Allington went in search of an equaliser. Lee Prestage went on a run and had really good options to play a team mate into the Villa box. But he decided to try is luck from 25 yards out and the ball flew over the crossbar.
Moments later he took another shot at goal and this time Adam Taylor in goal for Villa somehow blocked the shot with his leg. Adam then pulled off the save of the match from a shot by Aidan Corcoran.
With seconds remaining in the first half Allington got the goal they were looking for. A Villa player had the ball on the halfway line and there seemed no danger at all. But he lost the ball and one long pass later Aidan Corcoran was played into the Villa box and slotted the ball past the keeper.
Steve Luxon blew up for the end of the half, the Villa players went back to the dressing room while the Allington players stayed out on the pitch.
Right from the very start Villa came close to taking the lead again. A great low ball was fired towards the left hand post from the right hand side of the pitch. But Nigel Vass could not adjust his feet quickly enough and was unable to get a meaningful contact on the ball.
Villa were well in charge of the match again, Nigel Vass out on the left hit a good shot that only just cleared the crossbar. Villa thought they had won a penalty when James Langman hacked a Villa player down. But match referee ruled the foul had been committed just outside of the box. The ball was fired into the box and was cleared all the way out to Villa’s Charlie Thomas who hit a wild shot that flew high over the bar.
Up the other end in the Villa box there was a very big shout for another penalty that was also not given by the referee. But almost against the run of play East Allington took the lead. A cross was fired into the box from the left hand side and headed home by Aidan Corcoran.
Ash Beetschen had another headed chance he put over the bar but he was soon to get the goal all his hard work deserved. The ball was in the Allington box and was handled by an Allington player. Ash put the ball on the spot and sent the keeper the wrong way.
That was it and both teams remain unbeaten in the league, but both may feel they should have claimed all the three points on offer.
A very big thank you to both team managers for filling out the team sheets with correct numbers etc and writing so neatly. It helps me so much and I really appreciate you doing it.
