Post by Dave on Aug 8, 2015 11:39:30 GMT
Toolsation Western League Premier Division
Buckland Athletic Vs Cribbs FC
Saturday 8th August 2015 Kick-Off 3pm
Venue Homers Heath
Saturday 8th August 2015 Kick-Off 3pm
Venue Homers Heath
Final Score Buckland Athletic 6 Cribbs FC 1
It is better to learn to walk before you can run, that has always been the way Buckland have gone about things. When the time has been right for the club to move higher up the football ladder they have taken it.
It does seem a shame that Buckland did not apply for promotion to the Southern League last season, but so much money needed to be spent not only on the pitch, but other ground improvements. The decision has been taken to try and go up this season and so far over £25.000 pounds of improvements have been made. The pitch hopefully will be in much better condition than it was last season.
A top two finish last season shut up the few Adam Castle critics, he has added wisely to last season’s squad and has the knowledge and experience required to take the club further than it has ever been before. It’s not going to be easy to match the excellent results of last season, but you would not want to bet against Buckland winning the league title outright.
You could not wish for a better day weatherise for this opening game of the brand new season, I would like to wish the club all the very best for this season and hope they can for fill all their dreams. Buckland has and always will have a big part of my heart, a wonderful well run club that all who live in Newton Abbot should be proud of.
Cribbs FC are the new boys in the league and I’m sure they would like to getting off to a winning start, but I do feel Buckland will just to be strong for them.
The first thing to say is the pitch looks great improved, but it needs a bit more growing time to get it perfect. Twenty one drainage channels were dug on the pitch and it is these areas where the seeds have not really started growing yet. I was told that on the day three weeks ago when we were treated to some really heavy rain, not a single puddle settled on the pitch. So Buckland should not have the problems it did last season with the pitch.
141 fans paid on the gate and it was a shame it was also the first game of the season up at Plainmoor as I’m sure if that had not been the case, Buckland would have had even more there to watch this game.
I have come to the conclusion that Bristol Boys are just full of Noise, five lads supporting Cribbs that were sat in the stand and sung so loud they would have been heard in Torquay. Come on you Blues went on so long it was beginning to do my head in, but apart from the noise they made, they were no trouble a all.
This result was not as easy as the score might suggest, Buckland were by far the better team and fully deserved to win, but a second half sending off did help their cause somewhat. Buckland started much better with neat passing and always so much quicker to the ball.
But against the run of play the first good chances both fell to Cribbs players, their number nine David Gilroy headed the ball wide of the left hand post when he should really have hit the target at least. Grant Fisher was then forced into making a good save that he made look far easier than it was.
Buckland were not able to create that good clear cut chance that would have gave them the lead, but on the half hour mark, Marc Revell looped a fine header over the keeper into the left hand corner of the goal. It was a well deserved goal and just what the game needed to be honest.
Right on the stroke of half time Buckland should have taken a two goal lead into the break when they won a penalty after one of their players was tripped in the box. No one looked to keen to want to take the spot kick so up stepped new boy Andy Robertson. His kick lacked any real conviction and was saved by Phil Moulder at the foot of his left hand post.
So that was it for the first half, plenty of hard work, but not a lot to show for it. The second half got underway and it did not take Buckland too long to add to their lead. They won a free kick some three yards outside of the area and that goal machine Gavin Hammon hit a wonder strike into the right hand side of the goal. Marc Revell fancied his chances from over 30 yards away from goal and hit a super shot they only just cleared the crossbar.
Cribbs were given a lifeline when George Buckmaster brought down a Cribbs player in the box. David Gilroy took the spot kick but the ball smashed against the crossbar and stayed in play. It came back to him on the edge of the area and this time he blasted the ball high over the crossbar.
Up the other end and Bucks Jared Lewington made a great run into the Cribbs box and hit a fine shot that forced Phil Moulder into a diving one handed save that was the save of the match.
Cribbs were having a bit more of the ball and Jack Kinnerly went on a fine run down the left hand side of the pitch and threaded through a good ball in behind the Buckland defence for David Gilroy to run onto and hit first time past Grant Fisher into the back of the net.
Would this goal give the Cribbs players the confidence to go on and try and win this match? It might well have done if they had not gone down to ten men so soon after scoring. I saw a Buckland player hit the deck and the game came to a stop, I did not hear any players shouting or protesting about any bad challenge and so got my note book out to write down a bit more of the game. I looked up and saw a red card in the refs hand but could not see who it was being shown too. For a second or two I was not even sure a sending off had taken place, until I counted the players still on the pitch. It seems that the Cribbs player was sent off for a deliberate elbow to the face of Liam Head
The hard working Gavin Hammon was brought down in the box by the Cribbs keeper Phil Moulder and this time Lewis Perring took the spot kick. He hit the ball with his left foot aiming the get the ball inside the left hand post, but Phil Moulder guessed the right way and made another good save.
Buckland were well on top now and it was no surprise when they added to their lead, a second goal for Gavin Hammon heading home unchallenged after a great run and cross from the right by Jared Lewington
Soon it was four one after a good run into the box and cool finish by Liam Drew who rounded the keeper before firing the ball home, then it was five one after a header went in at the far post from Kiean Parkin.
Cribbs one a free kick just inside the Buckland half but gave the ball away very cheaply, one good long pass into the Cribbs half had Gavin Hammon chasing after hit and bursting into the box and as cool as you like passing the ball into the net.
Buckland will come up against much stronger sides this season, but I’m sure they are delighted to get the new season off to such a good start, goal difference might well play a part at the end of the season, so having a plus five on the opening day is not to be sniffed at.
