Post by Dave on Apr 19, 2024 10:55:08 GMT
Match Referee Dillon Gascoigne
Referee Assistants Adrian Fullam & Ed Bradshaw
Referee Assistants Adrian Fullam & Ed Bradshaw
Final Score Brixham AFC 1 Barnstaple Town FC 1
Attendance 161
Match Preview
In all my previous match reports I have always spoken so highly about Brixham AFC. It is such a well run club and one that always makes everyone feel so welcome. On top of that what ever team is put out, you are guaranteed quality entertainment and a very good standard of football.
What has always impressed me with Brixham AFC is the progress the club has made since it was formed. Brixham AFC as we know was formed in June 2012, when Brixham United and Brixham Villa merged in the South Devon League. Brixham Villa had been a club since 1953 and had previously won the league in the 2006–07 season, while Brixham United had competed in the Western Football League and FA Vase during the late 1970s.
I did cover a Brixham United away fixture against Buckland Athletic 2nd on the 19th March 2011, a game they lost by three goals to one. I also covered a Brixham Villa away game against Ipplepen Athletic on the 9th October 2010 which they lost by four goals to one.
My first ever Brixham AFC game was at home in the Premier South Devon league against Ipplepen Athletic on the 31st August 2013 which they won by four goals to one. After finishing runners up in the South Devon League the club joined the South West Peninsula League Division One East in 2014 and spent five seasons there, finishing third in 2018–19. At the end of that season the league was restructured, and Brixham successfully applied for promotion to the Premier Division East, at Step 6 of the National League System.
What an incredible history making 2022/2023 season Brixham AFC enjoyed, firstly reaching the FA Vase 5th Round for the very first time, but also being crowned as the Peninsula East league Champions and promotion to the Western League
Brixham AFC can be very proud of their fist season in the Western League, they have proven they are not in this league just to make the numbers up, but are there on merit. Currently in 8th place in the league table is no mean feat and not forgetting reaching the forth round of the FA Vase.
Brixham AFC record to date, played thirty one games, won thirteen, drawn nine and lost nine giving them a total of forty eight points, they also enjoy a plus thirty one goal difference.
What Do We Know About Barnstaple Town FC
The club was established in 1904 as Pilton Yeo Vale, and were founder members of the North Devon League in the same year, at the end of that season they adopted their current name. For a good number of years the club switched between the North Devon league and the Devon & Exeter league before joining Division Two of the Western League in 1948.
The club has reached the 1st round of the FA Cup an amazingly four times in its history, when they did in the 1954/1955 season they were at home against Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic in front of a record crowd of 6,200.
The 2015/2016 season saw the club finish as runners-up in the Premier Division, earning promotion to Division One South & West of the Southern League. In 2021–22 they finished bottom of Division One South, resulting in relegation back to the Premier Division of the Western League.
The team are currently in 5th place in the league table on 66 points, their record, played thirty one games, won nineteen, drawn nine and have lost just three and have a plus forty six goal difference.
The two clubs met in the league on the 16th December 2023 at Mill Road and Brixham came away with a well earned point from the game. Brodie Montague gave Barnstaple the lead on twenty seven minutes, but Aaron Wellington levelled up the scores in the forty third minute and the game finished in a one all draw.
Action shot from Barnstaple V Brixham earlier in the season. Image Credit Nathan Bennett
Barnstaple comes into the game in very good form on the back of a nine game unbeaten run in the league. Brixham have also been doing well and their only recent defeat was away to league leaders Helston Athletic on the 16th March.
Brixham are a good strong battling side at home and will fancy their chances of claiming the three points on offer. I recently watched the video of the league Cup Semi-Final game between Barnstaple and Helston played at Mill Road on the 1st April. Helston were winning by two goals to nil at halftime, but three second half goals for Barnstaple put them into the final. All three of Barnstaple goals were headers from balls fired high into the Helston box from the left hand side. The first a long throw-in, second a corner kick and the third a ball chipped in from just outside the left hand side of the box. Something brixham will have to be wary of.
May The Best Side Win
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Match Report
Brixham were missing two key players today, but what a hard working battling performance each and every player gave this afternoon. Make no mistake, Barnstaple are a very good side and dominated the second half, but the Brixham lads were determined not to let them leave with all three points and they didn’t.
Ryan Beatie was outstanding in defence and Grant Fisher was my man of the match after making a number of very important saves. Charlie Johansen also had an outstanding game and scored an absolute wonder goal.
The sun was out and the grass was green and the match referee got the game underway. There was nothing to choose between the two sides in the early stages of the match.
Barnstaple won the first corner of the match but the ball was tamely fired in low to the near post and was collected easily by Grant Fisher. They then won a second corner on the other side of the pitch but the ball was well cleared by a Brixham defender.
On eleven minutes Brixham took the lead and you will not see a better goal scored anywhere. Brixham won a throw-in out on the right hand side that was thrown long into the penalty area. Ryan Beatie was clearly pulled down with force from behind and I was expecting the ref to award a penalty. It did not happen but the ball was headed clear to outside of the box and headed back in by a Brixham player. Only for the ball to be headed back out again only this time it dropped for Charlie to volley the ball into the back of the net from twenty yards out, what a strike that was
Barnstaple were keen to get back onto level terms, Mathew Andrew broke into the Brixham box but hooked his shot over the crossbar. The Brixham defence were standing strong and winning the ball in key areas.
Ewan Howarth looked lucky not to be the first player in the referee’s notebook after kicking the ball a bit too long in front of him and then fouling a Barnstaple player. But after a talking too he was called back and shown the yellow card.
Josh Parry came close to doubling his sides lead when he took a shot from inside the right hand side of the Barnstaple box. laim Kingston the keeper made a great diving save and pushed the ball away. Liam also did very well when Charlie Johansen sent in a great ball to the back post from the left hand side, Liam under great pressure rose well and cleanly caught the ball.
Brixham were battling so hard to win every ball which resulted in a number of fouls by both sets of players. Harvey Dorothy had the last chance in the first half when he took a free kick for his side but his effort on goal went well wide of the left hand post.
The referee blew up for halftime and I felt Brixham were worthy of their lead, the only question was could they hold onto it.
We soon found out the answer as Sean Adderley was deemed to have committed a foul just outside the Brixham box. He was standing sideways and just waiting for the ball to drop to volley it away. He did catch the player but from my angle there seemed no intent just a genuine attempt to clear the ball. The ball was placed down by Scott Laird just outside the right hand side of the box. I think everyone was just expecting a cross into the middle of the Brixham box, but he hit a goal bound shot that Grant Fisher was not able to save.
It was clear the Barnstaple manager must have given his team a strong half time talking too as Barnstaple started the second half so well. Harvey Dorothy took a shot at the Brixham goal from the edge of the box that was well held by Grant Fisher.
Brixham were struggling to create any chances themselves but Will Hancox did get a chance on the edge of the Barnstaple box but blasted the ball high over the bar.
Barnstaple were looking to play the ball long at every opportunity, one such long ball had two Barnstaple players rushing into the Brixham box, but Grant Fisher was off his goal line quickly and was able to get to the ball first and boot it away.
Barnstaple’s Tommy Rogers took a shot from the edge of the Brixham box that went well wide and at this stage Barnstaple looked the most likely to score the next goal.
Charlie Johansen made a good run into the right hand side of the Barnstaple box and got a shot away that was blocked and went behind for a corner. But it was Barnstaple that had the next chance from inside the right hand side of the box, Mathew Andrew struck the ball well enough but the strong hands of grant Fisher caught the ball with ease.
They also came close with a twenty five yard effort from captain Billy Tucker that was only inches over the bar. The Brixham goal was coming under a great deal of pressure, Barnstaple won a corner that was fired in and from around the penalty spot Brodie Montague blasted the ball well over the crossbar.
Grant Fisher came to his sides rescue again when Mathew Andrew was played into the Brixham box clear in on goal. Grant made a wonderful blocking save. Billy Tucker was booked for what looked like a stamp on a Brixham defender inside the box.
Barnstaple came close to taking the lead when Tor Swann hit a shot from inside the right hand side of the Brixham box that only just went wide of the far post. Mathew Andrew had another chance from just outside the box that flew well over the bar.
Grant Fisher was called into making another top save when Tor Swann burst into the box again and got a shot away. Scoot Laird turned well inside the Brixham box and took a shot that Grant Fisher saved low down.
Another goal bound shot hit a Brixhan defender and could have gone anywhere; thankfully the ball went out for a corner. From the resulting corner a header was blocked on the line, a follow up shot was also blocked; the Brixham goal was leading a charmed life.
With Barnstaple pushing up so high they were leaving space at the back. A long Brixham ball played in Jaden Maslen but he took his shot to far out and it lacked any power to trouble the keeper.
Brixham thought they had taken the lead when a shot was fired inside the Barnstaple box that hit the underside of the crossbar and bounced down, did it cross the line? The linesman was not sure so no goal was given.
Charlie Johansen went on a very strong run and got inside the left hand side of the Barnstaple box. I was expecting the back of the net to burst but Charlie fired the ball over the crossbar.
The last chance of the game fell to Tommy Rogers but he scuffed his shot wide of the post. Brixham had done so well to prevent Barnstaple scoring a second goal and fully deserved their well earned point. To come away with two draws from such a class side, shows how far the Brixham team has come this season.
