Post by Dave on Dec 9, 2023 9:56:42 GMT
Match referee Tom Gill
Final Score Paignton Villa 2 Totnes & Dartington SC 4
Match preview
After a very exciting FA Vase 3rd Tie between Brixham AFC & Downton FC last weekend, it is time to get back to action from the South Devon league.
With last seasons 1st Division top three clubs, Ilsington Villa, Morley Rangers and Beesands Rovers, all being promoted to the Premier League for this season, a number of clubs would have fancied their chances of becoming the 1st division champions this season.
Clubs like Paignton Villa, Totnes & Dartington and Watcombe Wanderers, Ivybridge Town 2nds and even Brixham Town 1st might have been the clubs I would have picked as having the best chance to claim the crown.
But as we know, three clubs wanted to leave the Devon league and rejoin the South Devon league, the three clubs expected to just drop down from the Devon league into the Premier Division of the South Devon Football League.
The South Devon league had other ideas and placed all three clubs into Division One, a decision that did not please Newton Abbot Spurs 2nd and Paignton Saints 2nd. As Buckland Athletic 2nds were having to rebuild, they were the only club of the three happy to be placed in Division One.
Both Spurs and the Saints have a point to prove to the South Devon League “sorry but you put us in the wrong division” and it is no surprise to see both teams currently in 2nd and 3rd place in the league table. While Ivybridge Town 2nds hold onto top spot at the time of writing, I would expect these three clubs to end up in the top three at the end of the season, but not sure which one will be crowned as the champions.
So Division One is a much tougher league than it might have been and for many of the other clubs in the division, it will be a case of trying to finish as high as possible in the league table at the end of the season.
Paignton Villa are currently in 8th place in the league table on ten points after playing nine games so far, winning three, drawing one and losing five. They have scored a total of twenty three goals, conceding twenty four giving them a minus one goal difference.
They made a very poor start to the new season losing their opening four games. They got their first point on the board on the 30th September in a two all draw at home against Buckland Athletic 2nd.
It looked like they were turning their season around winning their next three league matches which included a seven goals to nil thrashing over Babbacombe Corries on the 28th October at home. Last weekend they faced the return fixture at home against Watcombe Wanderers 1st who had beaten Villa by four goals to one at Long Lane. Wanderers completed the double over Villa winning the game by five goals to three.
Totnes & Dartington sit one place above Villa in the table in seventh place on the same number of points, but they have played three games less than Villa. Their record, played six, won three, drawn one and lost two, scoring a total of fifteen goals, conceded eight giving them a plus seven goal difference.
Totnes & Dartington lost their first two opening games, firstly away to Buckland Athletic 2nd by two goals to one and then at home against Brixham Town by three goals to two. In their third game at home against Watcombe Wanderers 1st, they secured their first point on the board after the game finished in a three all draw.
Since then they have won all the three league games they have played, away to Upton Athletic by three goals to nil, away to Brixham Town by three goals to nil. Last Saturday they were at home against Buckland Athletic second which they also won by three goals to nil, so that is nine goals scored in their last three games without conceding a single goal.
Totnes & Dartington will be hoping to keep their winning streak going and claim all three points today. While Villa will hope to get back to winning ways and move one place above Totnes & Dartington. Much will depend on what players are available for selection for both managers, a constant headache for so many managers in the South Devon League. May the best team on the day win.
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Match Report
The met office decided in the end to name today’s weather as Storm Elin and it was most certainly worthy of its name. While it is a great setup at the South Devon College Sports Centre, it has to be the windiest place on earth. The actually noise of the wind was deafening at times and driving rain near the end of the match was not very welcome. The floodlights were put on for the second half, but a light was out close to the dugouts making that part of the pitch rather dark.
Both sets of players did their very best in very difficult conditions to produce a very entertaining game; there was plenty of good football and at one stage of the match it was impossible to predict which of the two teams would collect all the three points on offer. On the balance of play Totnes & Dartington ran out worthy winners, they were just that bit better on the day.
The match referee got the game underway and Totnes & Dartington started the better of the two teams and for the first ten minutes pinned Villa in their own half. Totnes James Blackshaw hit a very wild effort high over the crossbar from the edge of the Villa box.
Totnes won a free kick just outside of the box which was taken by Jamie Easton. He hit a low powerful shot towards the right hand post. Adam Taylor in goal for Villa did ever so well to get down and with one hand push the ball past the post.
Villa were at last on the attack, but Tom Evans decided to take a pot shot from 30 yards out that went wide of the right hand post. Up the other end Villa keeper Adam Taylor found himself in no mans land well outside of his own box, how he got back to make another excellent save from a shot from the edge of the box by Jamie Easton, I will never know.
Against the run of play Villa took the lead in the match after they had won a free kick out on the left hand side of the pitch. The ball was fired into the Totnes box but was not cleared and as the ball came back out of the box, Billy Williams hit a low powerful shot that crept inside the left hand post.
Totnes went looking for an equaliser and a good low ball into the Villa box from the left hand side found Liam Houlahan, he poked a shot at goal and Adam Taylor pulled off another fine save low down.
Villa’s Ashley Beetchen hit a good strike from the edge of the Totnes box just over the crossbar, but back came Totnes on the attack. From inside the left hand side of the Villa box Ryan Walton got a shot away that was just wide of the left hand post.
Adam Taylor who was the Villa hero for most of the first half with a number of good saves, then turned Villa's villain. Ryan Walton took a shot from just inside the box, it was straight at the keeper, Adam went down low to get his hands on the ball and somehow let the ball go through them and into the back of the net.
From twenty yards out Villa’s Charlie Thomas took a shot that lack enough power to trouble Sam Davies who was in goal for Totnes. Dan Perry out on the right fired a shot over the Totnes crossbar; Villa could not find that second goal that would have restored their lead.
Adam Taylor restored his hero status when he saved his team again when it looked certain Totnes would take the lead for the first time in the match. Ryan Walton was played into the Villa box with just the keeper to beat. I personally felt he was way offside but the flag stayed down. But Adam stood up big and strong and pulled off a great blocking save.
The last action of the first half was another long distant shot from 35 yards out by Ben Field that flew over the Villa crossbar. The match referee blew up for halftime and the Villa lads headed for the changing rooms. Moments later the Totnes players thought that really was a good idea and headed to them themselves.
The second half got underway and James Blackshaw came so close to Putting Totnes in front. A ball was played to the edge of the Villa box from the right hand side. James stabbed at the ball and it ended up crashing against the crossbar.
From inside the Villa box, James Blackshaw turned well and fired a low shot just wide of the left hand post. Josh Squires then fired an effort over the crossbar; you felt a goal was coming for Totnes. Harrison Hardy from the edge of the Villa box hit a powerful low shot into the back of the net.
Villa’s Billy Williams just inside the right hand side of the Totnes box got a good shot away and forced the keeper into making a great save low down. Was there a way back for Villa?
Sadly not as they went even further behind in what seemed strange circumstances. There was contact between a Villa player and Ryan Walton just inside the Villa half. The Villa player hit the deck and some for sure was expecting a foul to be given. But the referee saw nothing wrong with the challenge and Ryan was free to rush into the box with no Villa player near him. The keeper came out to narrow the angle but Ryan took the ball around him and rolled it into the back of the net.
Totnes sub Finn Roberts made 100 % sure the three points were safe after going on a very powerful run and entered the left hand side of the Villa box. He looked up and fired an unstoppable shot across the keeper and inside the far post.
Heavy rain was now driving across the pitch in the very strong winds, thankfully there was very little to write about now which was just as well as my notebook was soaking wet.
Villa did win a penalty kick near the end which was taken by Charlie Thomas? (Can’t read my note) and made the final score a bit more respectable. The referee blew up for the end of the match and it was time for me to pack up and get home out of the rain.
Many thanks to both team managers; you were both so helpful and welcoming. Special mention to the match referee Tom Gill. Tom has only been in the middle for about a year, today he gave a first class display of how to referee a game played in the South Devon League. Credit must also go to both sets of players who accepted all the decisions given and showed great respect to the referee. Not something I see week in week out sadly.
At the end of the game I was cold and wet and questioned my sanity being out at my age in this sort of weather. But I know it is all worth it because of the pleasure I get from watching so many good players playing a game they love as much as me.
