Paignton Saints V AFC Dumnonii 9th March 2024

[Dave]

Robert Williams Estate Agents Senior Cup

Match Referee Michael Maloney

Referee Assistants Ben Hilton & Sid Westwood

Final Score Paignton Saints 4 AFC Dumnonii 0

Match preview

The Devon Senior cup was first introduced in 1890 and was Devon’s major trophy until it was superseded in importance by the Premier Cup and St Luke's Challenge Cup. In the early days up to the 1950’s most finals were played at Home Park or St James Park sometimes with crowds up to 10000.

At the start of any new season clubs hope they will be able to add some more silverware to their trophy cabinet. Both clubs are now just one game away from reaching the final and the chance to make that happen.

Today’s game is a battle between South Devon and North Devon and the chance for me to cover a game featuring a team I would never normally cover. I know Paignton Saints very well and have covered a number of their games in the past, but AFC Dumnonii will be a first for me.

Saints as expected are enjoying a very good season and currently sit at the top of the South Devon League Division One table. Recently they have been scoring goals for fun and will the fire power they process end up being the difference between the two sides. Make no mistake AFC Dumnonii have proved in their short history they are a good side and have enjoyed much success and will come into today’s game with plenty of believeth they can make it through to the final.

Club Information Provided By Todd The Team Manager

AFC Dumnonii is a relatively new club, forming in 2021 to play in the 21/22 North Devon Football League (NDFL). Dumnonii refers to an old British tribe that inhabited North Devon. The majority of our players live in Ilfracombe, however, with a lack of playing fields, we play in Woolacombe.

We started the club due to a lot of local young men wanting to play regular sport. Offering a fresh approach to grassroots football, we pride ourselves on being a social club with an emphasis on having a family feel. We have a very young squad compared to most, and the volunteers who run the club are also relatively young when it comes to being treasurers/managers etc..

Starting a Reserves side this season, building our own dugouts from scratch, continual pitch work, and throwing some fantastic club socials, the club is only growing, and it’s a great place to be for all those involved.

Our football journey began in the NDFL Intermediate Three for the 21/22 season; we managed to win every league and league cup game, taking home the double. Bowing out on penalties in the Devon Cup however. The following year it was a similar story. After the Intermediate Three league folded, we found ourselves taking a double promotion into Intermediate One. Winning all games, bar one (in the league), winning another double. Again, losing on penalties in the county cup.

This season is slightly different, after losing our club captain to a serious injury, and a number of regular starters to more injuries, we’ve struggled to keep a consistent side, dropping points in the league on the way. Reaching the Devon Senior Cup Semi Final is a great experience, and one that all players and staff involved with will treasure. We can’t wait for what should be a great game.

When I learned the club was named after a tribe that existed at least from the Iron Age up to the early Saxon period, images appeared in my head of the AFC Dumnonii tribe arriving at Brixham in a sailing ship and scaling Berry Head and marching to Paignton to defeat the Saints.

Beware Paignton Saints They Are Coming For You.

How Did Both Teams Reach The Semi-Final?

In the first round the Saints beat Watcombe Wanderers at home by four goals to one, a game I covered.

Link To That Game.

davesworld.proboards.com/thread/1127/paignton-saints-watcombe-wanderers-september

In the second round they beat Totnes & Dartington SC 1st at home by two goals to nil. Their third round game was again at home against Bovey Tracey 2nd and won that game by three goals to one. The forth round was yet again another home tie for the Saints against Honiton Town 2nd which they won by seven goals to two. Their quarter final game (yes you guessed it correctly) was at home against Newnham Athletic 1st and ran out eight to nil winners.

AFC Dumnonii received a bye in the fist round and was awarded a home win walkover against Waldon Athletic 2nd in the second round. In the third round at home they beat Buckland Athletic 2nd by two goals to nil. They were also at home for the forth round and beat Bravehearts 1st by four goals to two. Their quarter final match was away against Hatherleigh Town 1st which they won by two goals to nil.

Saints will start as the slight favourites but that will not worry AFC Dumnonii who has an excellent winning record. May the best team win.

Have you joined the Davesworld South Devon Football Facebook Group yet?

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Match Report


After their long journey from North Devon, the AFC Dumnonii Warriors made it to the battle ground, where the Saints were waiting for them. I chatted with a number of them (delightful lads) before the game, they were really up for the match, but they had yet to sample the delights of playing on the South Devon College Sports Pitch.

The wind and the rain was horrendous and even more so during the second half, who ever decided to put the sports centre where it is. I take my hat off to every single player today for not only playing in such conditions, but trying their best to try and play some decent football.

I know how miserable I felt on the drive home after the game, soaking wet and very cold, but at least I did not have to drive all the way home to North Devon after losing a semi-final cup tie.

Paignton saints fully deserved their victory, but I felt the final score was a little harsh on the North Devon lads who worked hard and gave their all. They had a number of players, who caught the eye, but on the day lacked that cutting edge up front. Saints as we know have players who score on a regular basis and that was the real difference between the two sides today.

The match referee got the game underway and there was little to choose between the two sides until the Saints took a very early lead in the game. The opening goal came out of nothing other than a pass played to Jamie Micklewright just outside the AFC box. He took a touch and hit an unstoppable shot into the back of the net. A trademark goal for Jamie and as soon as the ball landed at his feet, you knew what the outcome would be.

There was a big shout for a AFC penalty when James Harker broke into the Saints box, but the referee deemed the coming together with a Saints defender was a fair challenge.

The wind was howling and as a result long balls ended up just going too long for the intended targets to get on. Saints Jake Powell hit a good shot from the edge of the AFC box that got blocked on route to the goal and behind for a corner.

From the resulting corner the Saints doubled their lead, the ball was fired in low to the near post and back heeled in by James Spence. AFC won a number of free kicks and corners but could not make them pay. The ball so many times not being played deep enough in the Saints box where their number nine James Harker, a very tall lad was just waiting to get his head on the ball.

Joe Lambell in goal for AFC kicked the ball long to the edge of the Saints box. Sam Townsend took a shot from there that sailed over the crossbar. Then AFC won three corners on the trot, but nothing came from them.

Sam Townsend then broke just inside the right hand side of the Saints box and got a good shot away that forced Travis Rowlands who was in goal for the Saints to push the ball around the post and behind for another corner for AFC.

Saints Joe Wilden then got himself needlessly booked when he put his boot up to try and prevent AFC from taking a free kick. The referee blew up for halftime and both sets of players headed back to the dressing rooms. I headed for one of the dugouts just to get out of the rain and wind for a bit.

Saints returned to the pitch first and had to wait a short while for the AFC players to join them as the rain started to get even heavier along with the gusts of wind.

AFC started the second half well and came close to getting a goal back. James Harker made a good run down the pitch and played and inch perfect pass for Sam Townsend to run onto. He was slightly wide on the left of the goal but got a good low powerful shot away. The keeper got down and made a blocking save but the ball came loose. Sadly for AFC no one had followed up the shot and the keeper was able to grab back hold of the ball.

It was now end to end football as both teams tried their hardest to play neat passing football. The long balls were still going too far due to the wind, more so for the Saints as the wind was blowing from behind their goal.

Saints Jake Powell forced a good save from the AFC keeper when he took a shot from the edge of the box. Joe Lambell got his body in the way and got the ball behind for a Saints corner. Standing on the penalty spot Saints James Spence hooked an effort over the crossbar.

The Saints were now on top and looking the more likely of the two sides to score the next goal. It was no real surprise when they scored their third goal. A Saints player miss kicked a shot in the box and the ball fell kindly to Eden Cresswell-Cluer who fired the ball low just inside the left hand post.

It was soon four nil and after a great run by Max Burrows, he played in Josh Pagett into the right hand side of the AFC box. Josh fired a low shot across the keeper in the bottom left hand corner of the goal.

That was it game won and I was so thankful to hear the final whistle I can tell you. The AFC Dumnonii lads can feel so proud of reaching the semi-final, but it was always going to be a hard tack to knock the Saints out of the cup.

So it will be Paignton saints V Newton Spurs 2nd in the final. I covered the last league game at the Rec between these two sides and the Saints had a bad day at the office and lost the game by five goals to three. I am sure their meeting in the final might have a different outcome.

Special thanks to Todd and Jake for all your help with the team sheets today. Trying to produce good quality match photos is very hard in such light and conditions, but I did my best.