Post by Dave on Nov 4, 2023 12:40:25 GMT
Match Referee Simon Blair
Final Score Paignton Saints 3rd 3 V Stoke & Torbay Police 2nd 2
Match Preview
A very late change in the game I am covering today, so I have used some of last weeks match preview in this one as the Stokes 2nd game was called off last weekend.
I have already covered Saints first and second teams this season so covering a thirds game today will complete the hat trick. Unlike the 1st and 2nd team, the 3rds have not enjoyed the best starts in this new season.
They are currently in 10th place in the league table on three points, having played a total of seven games, winning one and losing the other six. Worryingly they have only managed to score a total of eleven goals and conceded forty two giving them a minus thirty one goal difference.
They lost their opening game away against Ashburton by four goals to thee and in their next game also away lost to Totnes & Dartington 2nd by four goals to one. They then played their first home game against Watcombe 3rds and lost by seventeen goals to one.But in their very next game away to Waldon 3rd they did record their first and only win to date by three goals to two. Since they have lost to Stoke & Torbay Police 2nd (5-2) Teign Village (3-0) South Brent (7-1)
There can be all sorts of reasons why a club manager leaves a club after many years to join another one. Very often he is followed to his new club by many of the players who had played under him for the club he just left.
That certainly was the case when Garry Drew decided to leave Brixham Town and take over the Stoke & Torbay Police second team. I never had any worries when I was covering a Brixham Town 2nd team game, Garry was always so helpful and nothing was too much trouble for him.
I personally felt it was a big win for Stoke & Torbay Police 2nd when Garry decided to join them and a big lose for Brixham Town. The results so far this season backs that up as his club are in 2nd place in division three, while Brixham Town 2nd sit in bottom place in division two and only have a single point from their opening six games.
Stoke & Torbay Police 2nd have made a good start his season and are in second place in the league table on twelve points from their first six league games played. Winning four of them and losing two, scoring a total of twenty eight goals and conceding twenty one giving them a plus seven goal difference.
They kicked off this new campaign in style beating South Brent 1st at home by six goals to three. I do not know what happened in their second game away to Liverton United as they lost the game by seven goals to three.
But they bounced back to winning ways and were scoring goals for fun in their next three league fixtures winning all of them. But the wheels came off again when they played Ashburton away in their last outing and lost that game by three goals to nil.
In what will be wet and windy conditions it will be a hard game for Saints to get anything from, but I am sure they will give their all against a side that will be up their competing for the title this season. May the best team win.
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Match report
I had decided to just wait and see this week what games might actually go ahead. At 11am this morning I asked myself did I really want to leave my nice warm house and brave the weather. In the end I thought covering a game is where I belong on a Saturday afternoon, so I contacted both clubs to inform them I would be covering their game.
Apart from one very heavy downpour it stayed reasonably dry, but it was a dark and grey afternoon, thankfully I was treated to a very entertaining game of football. Was this really a third division match, both teams played plenty of attractive football and there was plenty of skill on show.
When I looked this morning at how both teams were doing in the league and at their results so far, I have to be honest and say I expected the Bees to dominate the game and win by a good margin. Today’s Saints team did not look like a side struggling near the bottom of the table; they worked hard, defended well when they needed to and took their chances in front of goal.
In saying that the Bees were in front twice during the game and threw everything including the kitchen sink at the Saints defence in the latter stages of the match to try and get something from the game, it was simply not their day.
Simon got the game underway and was only three minutes old when the Bees took the lead. Sam Healey went on a very powerful run and played and inch perfect ball to Daniel Trezise, who coolly slotted the ball into the back of the net.
There is a saying in football; you are always in most danger of conceding a goal the moment after you have just scored one. That most certainly was the case for the Bees, not once but twice today.
Almost from the restart the Saints went on the attack and near the corner flag Saints Ben Clarke fought of a very strong challenge and ran towards the goal and sent in a very low pass to Evan Kinghorn who hit a first time shot into the back of the net.
The Bees went back into attack mode; Paul Christie hit a good shot from the edge of the Saints box that flew over the crossbar. Mason Powell fancied his chance from thirty yards out but skyed his effort over the bar as well.
Up the other end and Saints Danny Rainbox found himself inside the Bees box, but he fired his effort well wide of the right hand post. Russell Cooper hit a good powerful shot from the edge of the box that only just went wide of the right hand post.
The Bees then took the lead again thanks to Daniel Trezise very close to halftime, would they go into the break in front? Not a chance as the ball was soon afterwards fired high into the Bees box from the right hand side of the pitch for Matt Reed to head home.
The referee blew up for halftime and both sets of players made the long walk back to the dressing rooms. Referee Simon brightened the second half when he returned to the pitch in a dry bright clean top.
The second half got underway and the Bees won a free kick just outside the Saints box, Russell Cooper fired the ball directly at goal but his effort sailed over the crossbar. Saints Ben Clarke went on a very good run down the right hand side and took the ball into the right hand side of the box. He then laid it off to Matt Reed who toe poked it past the the left hand post.
From outside the Bees box Sonwabile Mlenze hit a good shot just wide of the right hand post, but shortly afterwards Saints took the lead for the first time in the match. A great ball played in Danny Rainbow who picked his spot and fired the ball home past the keeper Phillip Piper. From another attack Paul Christie fired the ball across the keeper and just wide of the far post. Sam Winstanley took a free kick from outside of the box and fired over, the Bees keeper then made a point blank save to keep his side in the game.
Saints Adam Blackburn hit a good shot from the edge of the box that was well saved low down. Ben Clarke hit a shot from the same position that hit the right hand post. The ball stayed in play and was fired back at the goal again and Phillip Piper pulled off another fine blocking save.
The bees pilled on the pressure on the Saints defence, wave after wave of attacks but they could not find that final killer pass. But they were always in danger of the counter attack. Saints sub James Kinghorn had the chance to put the game to bed when he robbed the ball off the feet of a Bees defender, but hit his shot wide of the left hand post.
Saints Ben Clarke made another good run into the Bees box but saw his shot blocked by the keeper and Paul Christie had a good chance but his headed effort went over the crossbar.
Try as hard as they might, the Bees could not find a way past a very strong Saints defence and on clear chances created during the whole match, the saints deserved their victory. They will need to take this very positive result into their next game as on today’s evidence they do not look a bottom of the table side.
So that is three Saints games covered by me so far this season, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd teams and they won them all. Many thanks to both team manager today for filling out the team sheet correctly at such very short notice. Nice as always to see Simon who is one of the good guys.
I was asked to take this photo, someone at Saints knows why.
