Post by Dave on Oct 8, 2022 7:42:44 GMT
Match Officals Mark Hickson -Andrew Distin -Sam Hickson
Final Score Brixham AFC 2 Cullompton Rangers 0
Match Preview
I have covered two Brixham AFC home games this season, the first one a preseason friendly played on the 16th July against Liskeard Athletic. I have always enjoyed games played between Devon sides and Cornish ones when they happen, which is now not as often as they used to be. The game was played in the heat wave we had and given the conditions it was a very entertaining game.
Report On That Game
davesworld.proboards.com/thread/1031/brixham-liskeard-athletic-16th-july
The second game was a league one played on the 3rd September against Sidmouth Town which Brixham won convincingly at four goals to nil. Charlie Johansen in his first outing for Brixham stole the show and made a very big statement by scoring a hat trick.
Report On That Game
davesworld.proboards.com/thread/1038/brixham-sidmouth-town-september-2022
While I had hoped last season Brixham would have gone on and be crowned the league champions it was not to be. But would you want to bet against them doing so this season?
Ten games into the new season and in forth place with games in hand on the clubs above them. A record of eight wins one draw and just the single defeat. On a goal difference of plus twenty one, which is currently the best in the league.
They say to win titles you have to beat the teams at the top, not just the ones below you. On Wednesday evening the league leaders Ivybridge travelled to Walls Park. In the past Brixham have had mixed results against Ivybridge. Last season in the league the two teams met on the 2nd of November at the Erme Playing Fields, Ivybridge Town home ground. Brixham took the lead on forty two minutes with a goal by Reece Somers. But in the eighty ninth minute substitute Connor Rush scored for Ivybridge earning his club a hard fought point.
Brixham were at home against Ivybridge in the in the third round of The Walter C Parson Funeral Directors League Cup which was played on the 3rd January 2022. A game in which Brixham created enough chances to win the match, but lost by two goals to one with the winning goal coming in extra time just seconds before the game would have had to be decided on penalties.
Report On That Game
davesworld.proboards.com/thread/984/parson-brixham-ivybridge-town-2022
Brixham won the game on Wednesday by two goals to nil with first half goals from Kieran Parkin and Charlie Johansen. A convincing win that moved them up one place in the table.
Cullompton have played one more league game than Brixham and before today’s game were in tenth place in the league table. Their record from the eleven games they have played is five wins, one draws and five defeats and have a minus two goal difference,
Last Saturday 1st October Cullompton faced Torrington at home in their newly named Adopstar Park ground. They raced into a four goal halftime lead with goals from Sam Jones, Jack Bryant and two from Joe Wilkinson. Torrington did score twice in the second half, but were well beaten by a confident display by Cullompton.
Cullompton may have conceded twenty four goals this season, but they have hit the back of the net twenty two times. Their front players have goals in them but they do not seem to be so strong in defence.
Brixham we know have plenty of fire power of their own and have scored twenty eight times so far this season. They have also been very strong at the back and having a class act like Grant Fisher in goal and a very strong defence, is why they have only had seven goals scored against them in the ten games played so far.
Match Report
Firstly my thanks to Jason Couch, the lovable Andy Distin, match referee mark Hickson and his son Sam for your cooperation and help with today’s team sheets.
What a beautiful sunny October afternoon, perfect for football on a Wall Park pitch that looked absolutely amazing and huge credit must be given to the grounds man who has worked so hard to turn a preseason burnt surface into the quality one that was played on today.
In my honest opinion Brixham did not play to their very highest standards they are capable of. But they did more than enough to see of a Cullompton side that worked very hard, but never looked like getting anything from the game. To be honest I was expecting more from their front men, but Grant Fisher in goal for Brixham was not called into action a great deal.
In fact if Brixham had taken some of the many chances they created in the second half, they would have won by a higher margin. But the woodwork saved Cullompton a few times and a few guilt edge chances were not put away.
Cullompton started the better of the two teams and won two early corners. The first one forced Grant Fisher into a top class save as the ball was swung in on goal and looked to be dipping under the crossbar. The second one came to nothing. Cullompton’s captain Jack Bryant had a half chance when he turned neatly twenty yards out from the Brixham goal and hit a good powerful shot wide of the left hand post.
Brixham were at this point unable to get their game going and the neat passing we expect from them. They did win a corner that was fired high into the Cullompton box towards the back stick. Sean Adderley rose the highest and got a good head on the ball but his effort hit the side netting.
Brixham were slowing getting into the game and won a free kick when Arron Wellington was fouled just outside the Cullompton box. He took the free kick himself but fired the ball high over the crossbar.
Brixham then started to enjoy a very good spell but a number of balls into the box from free kicks were poor and nothing came from the corners they won. They had one great passing move with the final ball reaching Jake Chisholm who hit a good shot that just cleared the crossbar.
From the edge of the box Reece Somers hit a good shot at goal, but a Cullompton defender managed to head the effort over his own crossbar. But Brixham were to be rewarded for all the pressure they were putting on Cullompton.
A long throw in was taken with the ball finally reaching JJ Evans at the back post who hit a first time left foot shot in the back of the net.
It did not take Brixham long to increase their lead, they won a free kick out on the right hand side. The ball once again was fired towards the back post, Kieran Parkin headed the ball but his effort hit the left hand post. The ball came straight back to him and he hit a first time shot and put his side two nil up. Cullompton did have one half chance when the ball was played into the Brixham box, Joe Wilkinson got his head on the ball and headed it goal wards, but Grant made the save look easy.
That was it for the first half, what would the second half bring? It was a very frantic start and then there was a moment when the two number sevens, Reese Somers and Jack Bryant came together. It was short lived handbag moment and the match referee felt all that was needed was a strong word.
I thought the game was getting a bit scruffy and I could see no way back for Cullompton. Kieran Parkin hit a great shot that was blocked on route to the goal. Jake Chrisholm was played into the box with the just the keeper to beat and should have scored. But the shot was weak and Luke Vernon in goal for Cullompton was able to make and easy save low down.
The best Brixham passing move of the game saw Reece Somers played into the box and he hit a good shot that hit the post.Arron Wellington fancies his chances from twenty yards out, but the ball ended up going wide of the right hand post.
Ben Scott for Cullompton found his name going into the book for a foul, one of only two bookings the whole match. Reece Somers hit a shot from the edge of the Cullompton box that was well saved low down.
Cullompton were not able to create one meaningful chance and the only side looking likely to score was Brixham. Kieran Parkin hit an outrageous shot with the outside of his boot out wide on the right. It dipped and beat the keeper but hit the underside of the crossbar and bounced down on the goal line.
Brixham’s Andy Davis then had his name taken for a blatant foul and the last really good effort on goal came when Reece Somers turned very neatly and hit a power driver at the Cullompton goal. Luke Vernon did very well to push the ball over his crossbar.
Three well deserved points and the best teams always find a way to win when they not are playing at their best. A very enjoyable game to watch and I am sure it will not be too long before I am back at Wall Park.
Match referee Mark Hickson had a fine game in the middle, always looked fully in control of the game and fully in charge.
