Post by Dave on Feb 25, 2023 8:20:38 GMT
Match Official Yeasin Sattar
Final Score Barton Athletic 2 Morley Rangers 8
Match Preview
I have a great deal of respect for Dave Rich and everyone associated with Barton Athletic football club. Last season and this one so far has seen the first team unable to find a single win and they have suffered a good number of heavy defeats.
Yet they have never pulled out of a game, turned up every single match day and have given every game their all. It has been hard for many of the players, lets be honest we all like to win and it is easy to give up and walk away for some and that has been a problem for the club.
Wins build confidence which gets taken into the next game, defeat after defeat does create low moral, even more so when you find you are behind in yet another game.
Barton Athletic are a good club and I personally hope they keep going, keep building and improving even if that means dropping down to a lower division to regroup.
The first Barton game I ever covered was way back on 25th October 2014, they had not been formed all that long. A division five side that faced Upton Athletic who were riding high in the premier division. Barton came into the game on the back of six league wins on the trot, while they suffered a heavy defeat that day, they showed a never give up attitude that impressed me.
In the 2017/ 2018 season Barton had moved up to the third division of the South Devon Football League and reached the final of the Ronald Cup. A game I covered and one Barton won against a good Ashburton side scoring three goals in extra time. In past chats with Dave I have always reminded him of that day as I firmly believe better times are ahead for the club.
Below is a picture of Barton celebrating that cup win, I hope to capture a similar shot again.
Being a former Plymouth and West Devon Football League side, I do not know a great deal about Morley Rangers. Their facebook page states the club was formed in 1985, while on the club logo it shows as being 1989, they run teams from under five to adult. Like a few other based Plymouth sides they clearly fancied the challenge of joining another league and playing against fresh opposition.
Barton sits at the bottom of the 1st division table on zero points after playing a total of fifteen games and losing them all. They have only managed to score a total of eight goals so far and have conceded eighty.
Morley Rangers are currently in second place in the league table on twenty seven points from thirteen games played. Winning eight, drawing three and just two defeats. They have scored a total of thirty eight goals and conceded nineteen.
The teams met on the 15th October, a home tie for Morley Rangers which they won by four goals to nil.
I must be honest and say I am not expecting to witness Barton’s first win of the season today. But in their recent games they have not suffered heavy defeats and have started scoring goals themselves so clearly some improvement which I hope will be on show today.
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Match Report
There was a lot to admire with every lad who pulled on a Barton Athletic shirt today. They all tried to play the game the way it’s meant to be played. At times passing the ball well and not afraid to play out from the back. They all worked hard from the first whistle until the last one and never let their heads drop.
But there is a number of reasons why they are struggling in games, one is poor marking when balls are fired into their box. The back line playing too far apart allowing the opposition to play balls through them with ease. Good approach play breaking down with poor final balls.
Cairo Broadway playing up front for them so often lacked support, not being picked out when he made good runs. He is a player the club need to hold onto as when a chance does come his way he is more than capable of putting it away.
Morley Rangers are a very good side, their passing was often first class and they pulled Barton around all over the pitch and run their backline ragged. Upfront both Corbin Mackin and Dalton Brammer are natural goal scorers who both look like they could play in a higher league.
The match referee got the game underway and Morley took a very early lead. The ball was fired high into the Barton box from the right hand side and Corbin Mackin headed the ball home unchallenged in the air. A big set back so early in the game for Barton. They soon faced another ball into the box from the same area but this time Corbin’s effort cleared the crossbar. Corbin Mackin then hit a 20 yard effort over the crossbar, followed by a shot from just outside the box from Dalton Brammer that also sailed over the bar.
But you knew a second goal for Morley was not far away. The Barton defence got caught with a ball over the top that Dalton Brammer ran onto with just the keeper to beat. He picked his spot and fired the ball home.
Morley was getting through far too easily as they went in search of further goals. They won a free kick that was fired high to the edge of the Barton box. Jack Taylor headed the ball on and Corbin Mackin won the next header and forced Liam Stickley in goal for Barton into making a very good save.
But then came a glimmer of hope in the game for Barton when a long ball was played up to Cairo Broadway. He got onto it and showed his strength as he held off two Morley defenders and got a shot away across the keeper into the far corner of the net.
Corbin Makin had a golden opportunity to restore his sides two goal lead. He was played into the Barton box with just the keeper to beat and I would have put money on him doing so. But his shot across the keeper hit the left hand post and stayed out.
Barton’s Owen Fullarton fancied his chances from 20 yards out, he hit the ball well enough but Callem Wilkinson in goal for Morley caught the ball well.
Morley then scored their third goal of the match, another defence splitting pass played in Corbin Makin who made no mistake this time. Very soon afterwards they scored again, this time from free kick outside the Barton box. The kick was taken by Dalton Brammer and the Barton keeper was rooted to his spot as he watched the ball fly into the right hand side of the goal.
That was it for the first half, the Barton lads stayed out while the Morley lads made their way back to the dressing room. Could Barton find a way to stop Morley from adding to their first half lead?
Sadly not, a long high ball was fired to just inside the Barton box and was headed home from there by Dalton Brammer. Five goals to one and no real way back for Barton now.
It got even worse when a Baron attack broke down on the edge of the Morley box. The ball was quickly cleared up to Dalton Brammer who went on a powerful run and once inside the Barton box hit an unstoppable shot into the back of the net.
Barton where they caught out again with another ball over the top, Corbin Mackin raced onto hit and fired the ball past the keeper.
Barton won a free kick just outside the Morley box. Robbie King took the kick but his effort when wide of the left hand post. Barton then got their second goal of the match. The ball was pumped forward down the left hand side. Cairo Broadway looked second favourite to get onto the end of it but he made it his. Once again using his strength to hold of a defender he fired a low shot across the keeper into the far corner of the net.
He came so very close to getting his hat trick when he hooked a shot at goal that only just went wide of the right hand post. Morley was guilty of missing so many chances up the other end, but finally scored goal number eight. Another simple goal from a corner headed home by Corbin Mackin. One final effort from Dalton Brammer was well saved by Liam Stricky diving full length to push the ball behind for a corner.
The match referee blew up for the end of the match, a number of Morley players came over and thanked me for being there. Barton have many things that need working on and they are better footballers than results might suggest.
Many thanks to both managers for filling out the correct numbers etc on the team sheet. Nice to meet so many nice lads from both sides today, thanks for an entertaining game.
