Post by Dave on Oct 15, 2022 6:47:07 GMT
Match Referee Barry Hayward
Final Score Paignton Villa 1st 4 Torquay Town 1st 1
Match Preview
Back to a South Devon League game today and one I will not have to travel too far to cover. What a wonderful setup at the South Devon College for our local clubs to use. I did read a number of complaints recently from people living in Eight Acre Drive about cars parking on the paths outside their homes. There is a car park for people using the pitch to park, but it often gets filled up due to its size.
As I have got older my interest in history has increased and I often wonder if our local football clubs have recorded all of theirs. Paignton Villa were founded way back in 1926, what a lot of history there must be, but I do not know if it has all been saved.
Paignton Villa 1st team play in the Division One of the South Devon Football League. Last season they finished in 6th place in the league table on 26 points. They played a total of 18 games, wining 8 of them, drawing 2 and losing 8. They are currently in 6th place this season on 4 points from their first 3 games, winning 1, drawing 1 and losing won, with a plus 3 goal difference.
The Torquay Town side we know today played in their very first season ( 2014/2015) after being formed in division five of the South Devon league. The original Torquay Town club was formed in 1910 and in 1921 merged with Babbacombe to form Torquay United.
Torquay Town finished their first season in 3rd place and were promoted to division four. They had managed to bring the veteran goal machine Ant Roach out of retirement to star in that first season. On the 23rd May 2015 I was covering the title decider game between Ashburton and Foxhole United. Town faced Watcombe Wanderers 3rd that day and it was just another day at the office for Ant Roach banging in yet another hat trick.
Since then it has all been up for Torquay Town and last season they enjoyed another great one playing in division two. A season that brought both joy and anger for the club, but second place was good enough to win promotion again.
You would not want to bet against Town gaining promotion this season as well after the wonderful start they have made. They are currently in 2nd place in the table one point behind the leaders Morley Rangers, but with a game in hand over them. Played three games, won two and drawn one. What is also impressive is Town has scored eleven league goals to date and have yet to concede a single goal.
Paignton Villa certainly have a game on their hands, will they be able to be the first team this season to score against Torquay Town? Or even better beat them? They will have to find their best performance to date to be in with a shout.
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Match report
I asked the question in my pre match review “ could Paignton Villa be the first team to score a goal against Torquay Town and even beat them” well they did both and not just one goal but four. Town turned up with at least seven players missing who would have started today’s game. It’s hard losing two or three top players from your line-up, seven makes the win even more difficult. Even manager Craig Kendall had to get kitted up just in case he was needed.
Villa also had key players missing and had to promoted Ash Beetchen from their second team to lead the line up front for Villa, he did not look out of place and had a very good game. The result was not the one I would have predicted to be honest, but given Towns team selection problems and a top class performance from the Villa players; it was the correct result in the end.
It was nice in sunny in Paignton this morning but at 1.15pm when I left home to head to the match it was raining. I expected to come home at the end of the game soaking wet, but the sun came back out for the start of the match and stayed out. Just the normal problems at this pitch, very windy.
Match referee Barry Hayward who showed just how experienced he is in the middle blew up for the start of the match. Villa flew out of the blocks and piled so much pressure on the Town defence. Winning corner after corner and Town were unable to cross the halfway line.
The ball was fired into the Town box and Ash Beetschen chested it down and turned neatly, he got a good shot away that only just went wide of the left hand post. Villa’s Liam Jones fancied his chances from 20 yards outside the town box, but Ben Evans in goal for Town made an easy catch.
Ash Beetschen thought he had put Villa in front when he slotted home a neat pass that was played to him, but the goal was ruled out for offside. Ash then got another good low shot on goal that was saved low down by Ben Evans.
Town could not get their normal passing game together as Villa looked for that first goal. Tom Mayer who was a constant problem for the Town defence, hit a very powerful effort from just outside the box that thankfully for Town got blocked on route to the goal.
At this stage Villa were fully in control of the game and were passing the ball very neatly. Tom Mayer hit a wonderful 20 yard effort at the Town goal which resulted in the save of the match by Ben Evans.
Tom hit another good effort from the edge of the Town box, but this time his effort cleared the crossbar. Villa’s Billy Williams committed a nasty looking foul on the halfway line which resulted in him being shown a yellow card.
Barry Hayward blew up for halftime and Villa must have been wondering why they were not in front and maybe by a few goals. But credit must be given to Town who while not playing nowhere near their best, worked hard and made life as difficult as possible for Villa.
The second half got underway and the first effort on goal came from Villa’s Tom Mayer from just inside the Town box, once again Ben Evans made a good save.
Town started playing much better than they did in the first half and started stringing some passes together. Brandon Hext hit a good 20 yard effort that only just went wide of the right hand post.
There was a big shout for a Villa penalty when not one but two players hit the deck in the Town box, bit the referee who was well placed saw nothing wrong and waved the protests away.
But it did not matter as Villa shortly afterwards took the lead. The ball was fired into the Town box from the right hand side of the pitch and headed at goal. That effort was blocked as was the follow up shot. But the ball fell to Nigel Vass to fire over the goal line.
Villa quickly made it two nil when Nigel Vass hit a 20 yard effort that flew over the keeper and under the crossbar, the best goal of the match. They nearly made it three nil when Ash Salmon hit a shot come cross from way out on the left hand side that hit the right hand post.
The Town defence only have themselves to blame for goal number three. They were passing the ball to each other rather than getting the ball up the pitch. One pass too many was robbed of them by Tom Mayer who strolled into the box and hit a shot low into the right hand side of the goal.
Despite being three goals down Town upped their game and were very much more in the game. Mathew Waye was played into the Villa box but his effort cleared the crossbar.
Towns Brandon Hext was played clear into the Villa box with just the keeper to be, but Joe Moroney in goal for Villa made a fine blocking save.
Town were to get a reward for their second half effort when Lee Chamberlain pulled a goal back for his side. A good low pass was played to him and he hit the ball first time. The shot did not seem to have too much power in it, but the ball went under the diving body of the keeper.
Was a comeback on the cards? They maybe should have scored again when the Villa keeper lost the ball which was at his feet inside the box. He did well to block the first effort on goal and the ball fell to Jacob Snell close the right hand post, but his effort went the wrong side of the post.
Town continued to play well and their play was much more pleasing on the eye, but then came another killer blow. The ball was fired into their box and eventually arrived at the left hand post where Tom Mayer was standing and he guided the ball over the goal line.
Barry blew up for the end of the game and Villa headed to the dressing room with their heads held high. It’s a blip for Torquay Town, but we all know with a full strength side they are one of the best teams in division one.
Many thanks to both managers for sorting out the team sheets for me and thanks to Barry on doing such a fine job, I had nothing to moan about.
