Post by Dave on Feb 4, 2023 11:49:53 GMT
Match Referee Yeasin Sattar
Final Score Paignton Villa 3rd 2 Broadhempston United 3
Match Preview
After enjoying the last two Saturdays covering Brixham AFC, it was time to switch my attention to the South Devon Football League. I picked this game as it features two teams I have never covered before.
Paignton once boasted a good number of clubs playing in the SDFL, but now there are only just two clubs left. Lost along the way Paignton United, Roselands, Preston South End, Marldon, Foxhole, Hookhills, Rivera United, S.T.C and a few others.
The two remaining clubs are Paignton Saints and Paignton Villa; both are well run clubs and represent Paignton proudly. Villa has been around since 1926 and I have never made a secret of the fact it is a club I have a lot of time for.
This season the club has added a new 3rds men’s team along with a new ladies team who are learning their trade and getting better with every match played. The club also has twelve juniors’ teams on the go which is amazing when you think about it.
I have covered a number of the 1st and 2nd men’s teams’ game so I thought it was time to cover a game featuring the new 3rd team. It is also the chance to cover what I believe is my first ever Broadhempston United game.
Paignton Villa 3rd has made a good start in their very first season and is currently in 4th place in the league table on seventeen points. To date they have played a total of fourteen games, winning five of them, drawing two and losing seven. They have scored a total of thirty goals, conceded forty two giving them a minus twelve goal difference.
The two teams met in the league on the 17th September, a home game for Broadhempston which they lost by four goals to three to the Villa 3rd team.
I have not been able to find out much about Broadhempston United, but it is great to see such a small village still has its own football club. While I have never seen a game played in the village, a number of years ago I did attend the village fete that was held in the field the team play in. I won a bottle of wine that day, but I did see which tube it was placed under by the lady on the stall. Not my fault but it made the choice a very easy one.
Broadhempston United are currently in ninth place in the league table on ten points. They have played a total of eleven games, winning three of them, drawing one and loosing seven. Scoring a total of twenty seven goals, conceding thirty seven, giving them a minus ten goal difference.
Paignton Villa 3rd last league game was on the 7th January away to Babbacombe Corinthians 2nd which they won by four goals to two. The game before that played on the 10th December at home against Totnes & Dartington SC 2nd they won by three goals to one. Villa 3rd will be looking to make it three wins on the bounce.
The Robins last game was on the 28th January, a heavy five one home defeat against South Brent 1st. but they did win their game before that on the 10th December also at home against Newton Rovers 2nd by three goals to one. In fact before the South Brent defeat, the team were on their best run of the season.
I am expecting a very close game with plenty of goals in it, may the best team win.
Have you joined the Davesworld South Devon Football Facebook Page yet?
www.facebook.com/groups/837956497234326
You can now also follow Davesworld on twitter @ DavesworldR1
Match Report.
On a very dull day with grey skies and a very heavy pitch, no one could expect to see world cup football played. But what was on offer were two sets of players who gave their all simply because they love playing football. They managed to produce an entertaining game that had everything you could ask for.
If I am honest I thought a draw would have been a fair result, but when you score two of the oppositions goals in the first half and go into the break three goals to one down, it is always going to be an up hill battle. Villa certainly battled in the second half and so nearly ended up getting the point they deserved, but the Robins keeper Joseph Ellis did his absolute best to make sure it was his team that held onto the whole three points.
The match referee blew up for the start of the match and the Robins took a very early lead. A low ball was fired into the Villa box from the right hand side and somehow Tom Ratkovich knocked the ball over his own goal line.
Villa was stunned by the early soft goal they conceded and they soon found themselves even further behind. The ball was not cleared that far out of their own box and fell to a Robin’s player. He hooked the ball over the defence and Marcus Hildtich got to the ball first. With just the keeper to beat he picked his spot and fired the ball home.
Villa went in search of a goal of their own, from just inside the Robin’s box; Stuart McCauley hit a powerful low shot that just went wide of the left hand post. Villa won a corner and Danny Powell rose well in the Robin’s box and got a good head on the ball, but his effort sailed over the crossbar.
Things then got even worse for Villa when they went further behind. Sadly another own goal and it was the goal of the match but I am sure Tom Ratkovich would not agree with me. Tom was just outside his own box and looked to have plenty of time to clear the ball away to safety. But he must have sensed he was about to be challenged for the ball and decided to play the ball back to his keeper. But he got far too much on the ball and ended up looping the ball over his keeper into the back of the net.
There was big shout for a penalty by Villa, the Robins keeper Joseph Ellis had just punched the ball away from his goal and ran forward to punch it again. In doing so he clattered into a Villa player, but in my opinion and that of the referee it was not a foul.
Villa were now working very hard and clearly on top as they cleared their heads in an effort to try and get something out of the game. A long ball was pumped forward, a Robin’s let the ball bounce and as a result James Horrocks was able to get onto the ball when it entered the box. He hooked a shot that just went inside the right hand post.
Up the other end a cross in from the right hand side was headed over by Michael Ayres which might have put the game to bed had it gone in.
Villa had one more chance before the halftime break. James Horrocks found himself in the left hand side of the Robin’s box, but he sliced his effort on goal well wide of the left hand post.
The referee blew up for the end of the first half, the Villa players made the long trek back to the dressing rooms while the Robin’s decided to stay out on the pitch. Could Villa turn things around in the second half and put right the mistakes they made in the early part of the first half?
Villa started the second half brightly enough, from the edge of the Robin’s box Josh Taylor Jones hit a good shot just wide of the left hand post. The ball was then in the Robin’s box again and there was a big shout for a push on a Robin’s player. Nothing was given and I believe it was Josh Taylor Jones( will correct later if wrong) who got on the end of the loose ball and fired it into the back of the net.
Three goals to two in favour of the Robin’s, could Villa find one more goal? Stuart McCauley hit a good shot from the edge of the box that was well saved by the keeper.
The Robin’s then enjoyed their best spell of the second half, without creating any meaningful chances. In fact it was Villa that came to closest to scoring. A header close in on goal by James Horrocks was beaten away by the Robin’s keeper.
On a breakaway the ball was fired into the Villa box from the right hand side. Michael Ayres had a free header on goal but could not get any real power on the ball and it was an easy catch for Seb Dollar in goal for Villa. The Robin’s last real effort on goal came about when Daniel Wells turned neatly in the Villa box, but by then the angle was too tight and the keeper was able to push the ball around his post and behind for a corner.
The match referee seemed to add on a great deal of extra time as was the case for the first half, the light was fading by the time the final whistle blew.
I would like to thank the referee and both managers for all your help with the team sheet. I know filling in correct numbers adds to what you have to do, but it is so appreciated by me. I would also like to thank all the players for the warm and friendly welcome today, it makes leaving home and coming out on such afternoons so rewarding.
Good luck to both teams for the remainder of the season.
