Post by Dave on Nov 25, 2023 10:52:13 GMT
Match Referee Murat Kaymaz
Referee Assistants Christopher Hancock & Edwin Bradshaw
Referee Assistants Christopher Hancock & Edwin Bradshaw
Final Score Stoke & Torbay Police 1 Crediton United 4
Match Preview
In an age where nothing seems to last very long now, it is wonderful to see local football clubs formed more than a hundred years ago still in existence. Stoke Gabriel AFC were formed way back in 1905 and for a very long time, had to rely on the generosity of local farmers to provide a ground. Having to change for their matches in a school classroom and later in an old Home Guard hut next to the church.
That is how it remained until the club in 1981 purchased land in Broadway Lane and turned a slopping field into the pitch they use today. It took three years to get the ground ready for use and it has been greatly improved since then.
The Original Club House
In 2009 the club was given permission to build a new club house, but due to certain issues, it was not completed until 2012 and ended up not having the seats that were in the original plans. But it is a mighty fine club house and the club can be proud of it.
New Club House
I have covered more than forty Stoke games and have witnessed both highs and lows at the cub, from promotions to relegations, people have come and gone, but the heart of the club has always found a way to keep beating.
This seasons Stoke & Torbay Police are a very young one, it contains a number of very good players who are only going to get better the more games they play. I covered their third game of this season on the 12th August against Sidmouth Town a game they lost by four goals to one. Going three goals behind so early in the game had made it game over, but the young Bees showed plenty of promise for the games ahead.
Their very first game this season was away to Crediton that they lost by two goals to nil, so the Bees will be hoping it will be them that claim the three points today.
I covered the home Stoke & Torbay Police game against Crediton on the 12th September 2020; it was the season the Bees ended up getting relegated to the Devon League. Crediton won the game by thirteen goals to nil, but to be fair, the Bees side that day was made up of most of the reserves side they had just folded from the South Devon League.
Before the start of today’s game, the Bees are in a respectable 10th place in the league table on seventeen points. Their record, played fifteen, won five, drawn two and lost eight, scoring a total of twenty eight goals, conceding forty giving them a minus twelve goal difference. Their last league game was at home on the 11th November against Honiton Town which they won by four goals to one.
Crediton United are another club with a long rich history after being formed in 1910 when they joined the Exeter & District League. Crediton United are currently in 3rd place in the table on twenty seven points. Their record, played thirteen, won eight, drawn three and lost two, scoring a total of seventeen goals, conceding nineteen giving them a minus two goal difference. Their last league game was way back on the 24th October at home against Cullompton Rangers and the game ended in a one all draw.
On paper Crediton will start as favourites to win the game, but the ever improving Bees will have something to say about that. May the best team on the day win.
Have you joined the Davesworld South Devon Football Facebook Group yet?
www.facebook.com/groups/837956497234326
You can now also follow Davesworld on twitter @ DavesworldR1
Match Report
It was a pure coincidence my match preview was partly about the Stoke and Torbay Police ground. On my arrival today I saw all the new work being done on the ground. On the bottom car park side brand new fencing has been erected and two breeze block walls built which will be the new dugouts.
I did mention that when the new club house was build it ended up minus the seating that was in the original plans. My understanding is the club hopes to have seating added to the club house from the left hand side up to the dressing rooms entrance. This hopefully will be in the New Year, it is great to see this club continually striving to improve both on and off the field.
The game started in sunshine and ended with the moon making an appearance, the pitch looked heavy and wet, but was perfectly playable. It is not hard to sum up the Bees performance today, excellent in the first half and disastrous in the second. Going in at half time drawing the match was fully deserved, but they came out in the second half and pressed the self destruction button.
That is not to take anything away from Crediton; they were the better side on the day and completely dominated the whole of the second half. Very worthy winners, but the big question is what happened to the Bees in the second half?
The match referee got the game underway and both teams started brightly. The Bees were passing the ball well and looked dangerous on the attack. Bees Saul Vanes took a shot from the edge of the Crediton box that the keeper was only able to parry away behind for a corner. The ball was fired high into the box and Jordan Thomas rose well, but could not get a clean head onto the ball, it was a chance for sure.
The Bees then took and early lead in the match when an inch perfect ball played Bobby Chancellor into the box, he looked up and coolly slotted the ball past Ethan Chalk who was in goal for Crediton.
Sadly the Bees were unable to keep their lead very long after a needless free kick was conceded just outside their box on the right hand side of the pitch. The ball was fired high towards the back post and then headed by a Crediton player back towards the centre of the goal mouth. Dre Johnson was there to get the ball into the back of the net; it looked to me as if the ball went in off his shoulder.
The Bees long ball game was not working and was failing to find their front players and Crediton were enjoying a good spell in the match. They might have gone in front when Harvey Dorathy was inside the Bees box with the ball at his feet, but his shot ended up going well wide of the left hand post.
It was then the Bees chance to take the lead again in the match and I think many would have put money on Saul Vanes doing just that. He found himself in the left hand side of the Crediton box and went for power when placement might have been the better option; his fierce shot went wide of the left hand post.
The match referee blew up for halftime, the sun was no longer shining and it started to feel a bit colder. The halftime score was a fair result and to be honest based on what I had seen, I expected that to be the case for the second half.
How wrong I got that. The Bees kicked off and within seconds the ball was robbed off the feet of one of their players by Harvey Dorathy who then hit a 25 yard screamer over the keeper into the back of the net. It was a quality strike and one that stunned the Bees players.
Stoke tried to respond immediately and Bobby Chancellor got a shot away from the edge of the Crediton box, but his effort went wide of the right hand post.
Crediton upped their game and went into a higher gear; Harvey Dorathy took a snap shot from the edge of the Bees box that went just wide. Lukie White took a shot from inside the Bees box that was saved low down by Jim Weeks.
The Bees came under increasing pressure but Saul Vanes went on a strong run down the left hand side of the pitch and won his side a free kick on the edge of the box. Sadly for the Bees nothing came from the resulting free kick.
Crediton’s sub Shay Corrick fired a shot from the edge of the box over the crossbar; Harry Warren hit a 25 yard effort that also cleared the crossbar.
The Bees were now a bit sloppy at the back and were guilty of giving the ball away far to often in dangerous areas. The pressure was growing on their goal and two shots in succession were blocked on route to the back of the net. but they failed to clear the ball out of their area and a Crediton player ended up getting hacked down in the box.
The spot kick was taken by Harvey Dorathy who sent the keeper the wrong way. Three one and how would the young Bees respond? Sadly they had no answers how to stop the Crediton side now in overdrive.
It was nearly four goals to one when the Bees keeper was in a race to get to a ball that had just entered the Bees box. He lost the race and the ball was lifted over him and was heading for goal. A Bees defender was able to get across and make a goal line clearance.
From the edge of the Bees box, Lukie White hit a goal bound shot that crashed onto the crossbar. There was only one team now likely to score again.
Crediton then made it four goals to nil after some good work by Lukie White, he held off a defender and sent a low ball in the Bees box that was fired home by Sham Corrick.
The Bees only had two more chances to score another goal, a goal bound shot was blocked on route and from a free kick, the ball was finally fired at goal from inside the box and hit the left hand post.
The match referee blew up for the end of the match, Crediton were deserved winners and showed why they are in third place in the league table. During the first half the Bees showed how good they can play, but there is still plenty of work to do, especially in defence.
A very enjoyable game to watch and my thanks goes to the Bees for their warm welcome today. Special thanks to Tim Perrin for all his extra help. I will be back later in the season to check on the progress of this young Bees side.
