DC South Brent FC V Axminster Town 2nd 3rd Feb 2024

[Dave]

A&S Paving Devon Intermediate Cup
Quarter Final

Match Referee Terry Rogers

Final Score South Brent FC 2 Axminister Town 2nd 2 at full time


South Brent won the penalty shoot-out by four goals to two

Match Preview

The last time I covered a South Brent home game was way back on the 6th February 2010. Second from bottom South Brent took on second in the table Marldon and pulled off a shock result winning the game by four goals to three. So my return is certainly well overdue.

The club was formed in 1931 and originally known as South Brent United. Fast forward to the end of March 2016, South Brent were bottom of Division Two in the South Devon Football league and withdrew from it.

South Brent FC in its current form, put a youth team in the DJM league in 2016, an u11s team, this was joined by a further youth team in 2018, a new u9s which also joined the DJM league, including a further youth team the season after, meaning they had 2 teams at u10s for the 2019-2020 season. The Men's team rejoined the South Devon Football League in 2020, This was initially as a step up from youth football for the u16s who had been at the club around a couple of seasons entering Division 4 in the 20-21 season, only 1 of those players still plays for the club now. Changes happened with management and players over the next year and a bit, with a settled squad put together this earned the club promotion to Division 3 and a near miss in the cup at the end of last season.

The original youth team that started back in 2016, having just played and won their league at u18s level, the decision to take the step up to men's level was made, and this was the start of the creation of the new reserves team that has started in Division 4 this season. The future is bright for South Brent FC.


Axminster is a market town and civil parish on the eastern border of the county of Devon in England. It is 28 miles from the county town of Exeter. The town is built on a hill overlooking the River Axe which heads towards the English Channel at Axmouth.

The football club was founded back 1903 and their first team play in the Peninsula Premier East Division. The reserves play in the Perry Street and District League Division One. The Perry Street and District League, commonly known as the Perry Street League, is a football competition with clubs from south Somerset, west Dorset and East Devon, England. The league was formed in 1903



How Are Both Clubs Doing In Their Respective Leagues.

South Brent FC plays in Division Three of the South Devon League and is currently in seventh place in the table on fifteen points. Their record is played seven, won five and lost two, scoring a total of twenty three goals, conceded sixteen, giving them a plus seven goal difference.

Axminister Town Reserves are currently in sixth place in Division One of the Perry Street And District League on twenty one points. Their record is played ten, won seven and lost three and have a plus twenty one goal difference.


How Did Both Clubs Reach The Quarter Final?

In the first round played on the 9th September 2023, South Brent faced Millwey Rise 1st at home and won the game by five goals to one. On the 7th October in round two, South Brent were awarded a home walkover against Dartmouth United 2nd who had folded. In round three played on the 4th November 2023, were at home against South Molton 1st and won the game by four goals to nil. In the forth round played on the 2nd December 2023, South Brent faced Merton 1st away and won the game by two goals to one.

Axminster Town Reserves entered the cup in round two and faced a long trip away against Combe Martin 2nd on the 7th October 2023 and won the game by four goals to three. In round three on the 11th November 2023 they were home against AFC Dumnonii 2nd and won the game by five goals to nil. Their forth round tie was also at home on the 16th December 2023 against St Martins 2nd which they won by four goals to three.

It is a cup game with a semi-final place in store for the winners, a battle between two different teams from two different leagues, both teams have done so well to get this far in the competition, may the best team win.

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Match Report


Shortly after I arrived at the ground, a mini bus pulled in containing the Axminster side. As they got off it was clear to see they were a very young development side with a few older heads added to give the side some experience.

The air was full of misty rain and not the sort of weather suitable for producing the sort of shots I like, but you have just get on with it. The pitch was very heavy, wet and muddy and was going to be a difficult surface for both sets of players to play on. Credit to them all for producing a very entertaining match that produced four goals and a dreaded penalty shoot-out to decide the eventual winner.

The young tigers on their drive back home, must have been wondering why they did not win today. On the balance of play they were the better side and enjoyed much of the play. But credit must be given to the South Brent lads who were in the lead twice in the game and battled from the fist minute until the very last one.

The match referee got the game underway and South Brent started the better of the two teams. The first shot on goal was by Brent’s Jay Barnard who fired his shot from outside of the tigers box, but his effort went wide of the right hand post. South Brent then won a free kick outside of the box, but could not make it pay.

The young tigers started finding their feet and slowly getting on top. Josias Drew turned neatly on the edge of the South Brent box and got a good shot away that flew over the crossbar. He then had a second effort that also cleared the crossbar.

The tigers had a golden opportunity to take the lead in the match after a poor punch out by Mathew Swift who was in goal for South Brent. The ball dropped straight at the feet of Owen Dibling who toe punted the ball towards the now unguarded net. But his attempt went wide of the right hand post and South Brent were lucky not to be behind.

The tigers looked the mostly likely of the two sides at this point to score the first goal. Owen Dibling hit a good shot from outside of the box wide of the target.

But it was South Brent that scored the first goal of the match and it was against the run of play. A tigers attack came to nothing and the ball ended up being fed to Jono Ellis. A tiger defender did his best to try and win the ball off Jono who was having none of it. In on goal now with just the keeper to beat he coolly slotted the ball into the back of the net.

Just before the beak, South Brent’s David Hatch worked his magic just outside the left hand side of the tigers box and got a low shot away that just went wide of the left hand post.

The referee blew up for halftime and both sets of players headed back to the dressing rooms. The big question was could the South Brent lads hold onto their lead, or would they continue to come under even more pressure from the young tigers.

The game restarted and straight from the off the tigers went into attack mode. Sam Dibling hit a good shot from just outside the South Brent box over the crossbar. Mike Thackery went on a good run and into the right hand side of the box and got a powerful shot away. Sadly someone walked in front of me and I could not see the result of the shot. But I heard the ball thump the woodwork and a South Brent player must have got a touch on the ball as the tigers were awarded a corner.

It was a backs to the wall for the South Brent defence as the tigers looked to get back onto level terms. They won a free kick just outside the South Brent box that was taken by Bailey Galloway, but he hit his shot well over the crossbar.

On what now seemed a rare South Brent attack they won a free kick out on the left hand side of the pitch. The ball was fired high into the tigers box and Alex Boon rose the highest and headed a power effort that smashed against the crossbar, but had it got in it would have not counted as the linesman put his flag up for offside.

The tigers then got their reward for all their hard work in the second half, the Brent defenders were unable to really clear the ball away from danger and the ball finally came to the edge of the box for Sam Didling to fire home.

Tigers Josias Drew got inside the left hand side of the South Brent box and got a shot away that just went wide of the left hand post. Wave after wave of tigers attacks, but the South Brent defence working in overdrive kept them out. Then once again against the run of play South Brent went back in front.


They won a free kick out on the left that looked a long way away from the goal. Jono Ellis took the kick and from my position it looked to have flown inside the left hand post.

Once again it became all one way traffic as the tigers tried to get back into the game but time was running out for them. I felt South Brent were going to hold on but how wrong was I. with only minutes left on the clock, the tigers Josias Drew was able to hook the ball into the back of the net close in on the keeper.

The referee blew up for full time and now the managers had to find out which of their players were up for participating in the penalty shoot-out. It is not the way many like to see games decided there will always be heroes and villains I’m afraid.

Mike Thackeray took the fist kick for South Brfent and scored. Next up the tigers Josias Drew who also scored. Next up for South Brent Jono Ellis who made it two one. Leo Maguire went next for the tigers and the South Brent keeper made a fine save. Will Poundall put the ball on the spot hoping to increase his sides lead, but his effort was also well saved.

Tigers Dylan Burrough put his effort wide on the left hand post and then Jay Barnard fired his effort home. The tigers Bailey Galloway then converted his spot kick and the pressure grew on South Brent’s Nathan Lakey to put his side into the semi-final. He made no mistake and the South Brent players started their celebrations.

I really enjoyed the match and was made to feel so welcome by both clubs. I would like to thank both Vince Reeves and Chris Hill of South Brent for all their help. Also the manager and staff of Axminster Town reserves for their friendly help.