Post by Dave on Nov 11, 2023 9:41:51 GMT
Herald Cup Second Round
Match Referee Conor Morgan
Final Score Newton Abbot 66 4 Babbacombe Corinthians 0
Match Preview
Three hundred and sixty four days ago today on the 12th November 2022, I covered the herald Cup second round match between Newton 66 from the Premier League and Beesands Rovers from Division One.
Newton 66 had only amassed one single point from their first seven league games and went on to lose their next three games. But in their very next outing they secured their first win of the season beating Ivybridge Town 2nd at home by six goals to one.
Beesands were unbeaten in the league and sitting at the top of the table, knowing first hand how well Rovers can play, I was expecting them to progress to the next round of the cup.
A Beesands win would not have been seen as a shock result, but Newton 66 racing into a five goal lead in the match most certainly was. Beesands staged a fight back, but it was all in vain and Newton 66 finally won the game by seven goals to five.
Newton 66 have had a mixed start this season, they are currently in seventh place in the league table on seven points from the six games they have played. Winning two, drawing one and losing three, scoring a total of sixteen goals, but they have conceded fifteen.
Babbacombe Corinthians FC was formed in 1930 when the original Babbacombe FC disbanded. Several of the players had left the previous season to form the now defunct Babbacombe Rangers FC. Back then they played their home matches at Wall’s Hill and won the Herald Cup in 1947 when they beat Brixham United 4-0. They reached the final again the following year and played Buckfastleigh Rangers.The score was 1-1 at full time but they lost 3-1 after extra time.
Sadly the club folded in 1953 but thankfully was reformed in 1964 by Brian Copplestone who became president of the club and who was at the time a player for Colleton United, Very interestingly one of the leading goal scorers for the newly reformed club was a certain Mr Barry Hayward who went on to become one of the best well known local referees who is still in action to this day.
Life has not been easy for the Corries in the first division so far this season, having to face Watcombe Wanders 1st twice and also Paignton Saints 1st. They are currently in tenth place in the table on four points from the seven games played to date. Wining just the one single game, drawing one and losing five, scoring a total of nine goals, conceding twenty three giving them a minus fourteen goal difference.
Both teams come into today’s game on the back of defeats in their last league outings. Newton 66 was beaten at home by three goals to one against Beesands Rovers. Corries lost by seven goals to nil away to Paignton Villa 1st, their heaviest defeat of the season so far.
While Newton 66 will start as clear favourites today, this is a cup match and how often do we see the underdogs win against all odds? Good luck to both teams today and may the best one win.
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Match Report.
Fifteen players confirmed to the Corrie manager this morning they were available for today’s match, only the bare eleven made it to Osborne Park. I felt the final score was a bit hard on the corrie lads, for a good part of the game they were only losing by the single goal that came from a spot kick early in the game. They battled well and had a very good spell after the break and their keeper made a number of excellent saves to keep them in it.
After Lewis Warde went of injured during the second half reducing the Corries to nine men, Newton 66 really made the extra man count and while not at their 100% best, ran out deserved winners in the end.
There was a minutes silence before the start of the match for Remembrance Day and then the match referee got the game underway on a pitch that was covered in leaves. 66 nearly took an early lead in the game when as overhead kick from inside the Corrie box was pushed over the crossbar by Billy Linsay and behind for a corner. The corner kick was swung into the box and finally ended up close to the right hand post. Tom Lowe looked certain to score, but Billy Linsay pulled off another fine save.
Tom Lowe then went on a very good run down the right hand side of the pitch and as he entered the Corrie box got a low shot away across the keeper that only just went wide of the left hand post.
Up the other end and Corries Josh Hill took a shot from just outside the Newton box that was saved low down by the Newton keeper Adam Daley. Newton came close again to opening up the scoring after some very strong work by Joe Clarke-Farley that resulted in a shot from the edge of the box that only just went wide of the left hand post.
Newton’s Cal Foskett was shown the yellow card for a foul on a Corrie player; it was the only booking of what was a hard fought match that saw plenty of strong tackles in it.
From a Newton free kick the ball was fired high into the Corrie box and Jake Cockram got a good head on the ball but his effort went wide of the target. Newton won a free kick just outside of the box that was taken by Liam Ashwell, he went directly for goal but the ball flew over the crossbar.
Newton then took the lead in the match after the referee pointed to the spot, a Newton player was wrestled to the ground just as he entered the left hand side of the Corrie box. The spot kick was taken by Cal Foskett who sent the keeper the wrong way.
Newton went in search of a second goal; a great cross into the Corrie box from the left hand side was headed just wide by Joe Clarke- Farley. There was a big shout for a second Newton penalty but the player was going down in the box long before any hands were in his back.
Corrie had another half chance when Lewis Cocker hit a good shot from just out side the box that ended up getting defected over the crossbar and behind for a corner. Shortly afterwards Newton really should have added to their lead when Liam Ashwell robbed the ball of the feet of a Corrie player on the edge of the box. He was then clear in on goal with only the keeper to beat, but completely miss kicked the ball.
That was it for the first half, just the single goal separating the two sides and Corrie were still very much in the match. The second half got underway and the first real effort on goal was a twenty yard low effort from outside of the box by Newton’s George Dodge that hit the base of the right hand post.
Corrie started and enjoying their best spell in the match, from outside the box Harry Wade hit a shot over the crossbar. Rhys Goacher hit a twenty five yard effort just over the bar, could Corrie get back onto level terms?
Joe Clarke-Farley was in the Corrie box again and got a shot away, Billy Linsey pulled off another fine blocking save to keep his side in the match. Joe was in again close to goal but his shot was weak and saved with ease. Newton’s Jake Cockram received a good ball inside the Corrie box from the left hand side, but his touch was poor and the chance was gone.
Newton were now back on top and Tom Lowe was played into the box and his shot was defected just wide of the left hand post. Then came a game changing moment when Corries Lewis Warde could no longer continue in the game, with no subs to bring on Corrie was down to ten men.
Soon afterwards Corrie fell further behind when a ball into their box from the right hand side was fired home by Joe Clarke-Farley. Two soon became free when the Corrie keeper was forced to rush out to the edge of his box. He got a hand on the ball and pushed it away, but Joe Clarke- Farley picked up the loose ball and fired it into the now unguarded net from outside of the area.
Corrie did win a free kick on the edge of the Newton box, but Josh Vallance was unable to keep his shot down and had to stand and watch it sail over the crossbar.
It was all one way now, Newton’s sub James Grove was played in but skied his effort well over, but then Joe Clarke-Farley made sure it was his side going into the next round of the cup. A good pass played him into the right hand side of the Corrie box; he hit a low shot across the keeper than went in off the far left hand post.
That was it, the match referee blew up for the end of the match, while not at their very best it is Newton 66 heading for the third round of the Herald Cup. The Corrie lads and hang their heads up high, they made it very tough for Newton for most of the game. They are a side that likes to play football and have a number of good players in it. Play with the heart they did today and they will soon be rising up the division one table.
Many thanks to both team managers for all your help today with the team sheet. A very entertaining game to cover and it was nice to meet you all. Good luck to both teams for the rest of this season.
