Post by Dave on Oct 21, 2023 10:35:04 GMT
The Top Of The Table Clash
Match Referee The One And Only Barry Hayward
Final Score Paignton Saints 2nd 3 Barton Athletic 1st 2
Match Preview.
You have to find a way to keep going and keep believing and thankfully that is something Barton Athletic was able to do. Two whole seasons without a single win, two relegations that saw them drop down from the Premier Division to Division Two. Yet with players coming and going, they fulfilled all of their fixtures and keep working hard to turn the fortunes of the club around, other clubs in the past had simply thrown in the towel and folded.
I remember well the very first time I saw Barton Athletic in action, a newly formed club playing in Division Five of the SDFL. That day on the 25th October 2014 they faced Upton Athletic who were in the Premier League in a Herald Cup fixture. While they lost that game by ten goals to nil, the players in the Barton shirts gave their all and never gave up.
Just one month later on the 22nd November I covered one of their home games against Moretonhampstead, a team that had star player Darren Bastow in it, but that did not matter as Barton were superb that day and won the game by six goals to three. Move on to Sunday 13th May 2018 where I covered the Ronald Cup Final ( Division Three) Ashburton V Barton Athletic which Barton won by three goals to nil.
Due to a change of job I was only able to cover a handful of games for a while and then we had covid that saw two seasons wiped out. Move on again to the 25th September 2021 the next time I saw them in action, a Premier League fixture between Barton and Ivybridge Town 2nd a game they lost by seven goals to one. As hard as they tried the club could not buy a win the whole season or the next one for that matter.
Barton have made a number of good signings this season and how great it is to see this well run club back to winning ways. Sitting on the very top of the Division Two table on thirteen points after having played a total of five games, winning four of them and drawing one.
Paignton Saints are another very well run club that has given me so much pleasure covering a number of their games over the years. It is no surprise to see the 2nd team competing at the very top of the table, they will hope after today’s game to be sitting at the very top themselves.
In second place on twelve points from five games, winning four of them and suffering one defeat against Bovey Tracey reserves. Last Saturday they thumped Watts Blake & Bearne 2nd by nine goals to nil, so this is a side that has plenty of goals in it.
It is still very early in the season, but Barton will be hoping for a four point lead in the table at the end of this match. Saints 2nds will be hoping to knock Barton off that top spot, what a game this promises to be. May the best team win.
Match report.
A quality game of football between two very good footballing sides, pure entertainment from the very first whistle until the very last one. At halftime I was not expecting the final result if I am honest, Barton were winning by two goals to one at this point and could have been even further in front.
Saints first goal in the match changed it, suddenly Barton stopped doing all the good things they were doing in the first half, while the Saints started to really believe it would be them who would become the new league leaders at the end of the match.
This was a Barton side I had not seen for a few seasons, they played some very good football and looked hungry in the first half in particular, it was clear to see why until today they were unbeaten in the league. Credit must be given to the Saints, they stuck to the task and grew and grew as the game went on, it was clear to see at the end just how much today’s win meant to them.
Barry Hayward the match referee got the game underway and both teams started well, but neither was able to really get on top. Barton won the first corner of the game but nothing came from it.
Barton also had the first real chance to take the lead in the match, Tom Davis took a shot from just inside the box, but his effort was well caught by Jack Callum in goal for the Saints.
It was end to end and Saints Joseph Franklin burst into the right hand side of the Barton box and got a good shot away that was beaten away by Kyle Lardner at his near post. Saints were in the Barton box again and the ball was played back to the edge of the box. Matt Reed hit a first time shot that just went wide of the left hand post.
Barton came so close again to taking the lead in the match when Tom Davis was played into the Saints box with just the keeper to beat. He hit a good shot at goal, but Jack Callum made a fine one handed diving save to deny Tom. Jack was called into further action when Mathew Bleakley was played into the Saints box and pulled off another good save.
Barton were enjoying a good spell in the match, but Saints always looked dangerous when they went forward. A great ball was played high into the Barton box from the right hand side, Danny Rainbow rose well into the air, but his headed effort ended up going wide of the left hand post.
Barton then took the lead in the match, the keeper kicked the ball long that was then flicked on for Zack Norton to run into the Saints box and fire the ball home into the back of the net.
Barton quickly doubled their lead when they were awarded a free kick just outside of the Saints box. Liam Northcott hit a powerful curving shot giving the keeper little chance of making a save.
Barton were fighting hard for every single ball, they were not allowing any saint players anytime on the ball and were winning most of their tackles. There was a coming together of two players near the halfway line that resulted in a handbag moment. There was some pushing going on, but the referee soon had things under control. Huge credit to Barry Hayward, I have seen referees just get in there and show yellow cards, but Barry talked to the players he needed to and that was all that was really needed.
Baton had been a bit slack in their marking when facing a Saints corner and paid for it in the end. Saints won another one and Aaron Knapman rose well in the air hand headed the ball into the back of the net.
The referee blew up for the end of the first half, the Saints went back to the dressing room and the Barton boys stayed out on the pitch. I still felt at this point that I would be witnessing my first Barton win for a good while, how wrong did that turn out to be.
The second half got underway and Barton gave a few loose balls away at the back, If that carried on it was only gaoling to be a matter of time before saints got a second goal in the match. The Barton keeper allowed Saints Danny Rainbow to roll him and a resulting effort on goal by Danny crashed down onto the Barton crossbar.
Saints George Keates hit a very wild shot from the edge of the Barton box that flew high over the bar, Barton really needed to score again I felt as Saints looked the most likely to score next.
Barton then won another free kick just outside the Saints box, once again it was Liam Northcott who took the kick. But this time the Saints keeper did well to get two hands on the ball and push it away and prevent that third goal that Barton really needed.
Saints were clearly well on top at this stage of the match, George Keates found himself on the edge of the Barton box with the ball at his feet, but his shot on goal lacked any power and was saved with ease.
Barton were doing well to hold on but a silly back pass played blind nearly cost them. But the Saints pressure finally paid off for them, Danny Rainbow was out wide on the left hand side and from there lobbed the ball over the keeper with the ball dropping down over the goal line.
Saints just looked like they wanted it that bit more and soon afterwards took the lead. From my position it looked like the Barton keeper was going to claim the ball, but sub Sam O’Mara got to it first and fired it home. The Saints celebrations when the ball crossed the line told you just how much that meant to them.
Barton tried hard to get back onto level terms; Tom Davis hit a sweet shot from the edge of the Saints box that looked to be going in close to the right hand post. But Jack Callum diving down low got a hand on the ball and pushed it past the post. Tom had another effort also from the edge of the box, but his effort flew over the bar.
Barton won a free kick deep into any extra time that had been added on, up came their keeper into the Saints box, but the ball was easily cleared by the Saints defence.
That was it, Barton’s first league defeat of the season and a few lessons to learn for sure. Well done to Saints 2nd you kept believing and got your rewards in the end.
Many thanks to both clubs and their managers for such a warm welcome and all your help with the team sheet. Great to see Barry Hayward do such a fine job in the middle today, always had a smile on his face and controlled the game so well without feeling the need to issue any cards in the match.
Paignton Saints Managers Assistant.
