SWPL Div 1 East: Galmpton Utd V Liverton Utd 11th March 2017

[Dave]

Match Referee Arron Reed

Final Score Galmpton Utd 5 Liverton Utd 0

Match Preview

For the benefit of my match reports, I always try and remain neutral at every game I cover. But I would not be being honest with my readers if I did not say there have been games when I was secretly rooting for one of the teams out on the pitch and hoping they would win.

Today’s game between Galmpton and Liverton is a completely different affair as I would like both teams to win and for two different reasons, but I know that is not something that is going to be possible .

I have been following Galmpton’s season very closely and have been so impressed with the players, manager and the whole clubs attitude. This is a club that came so close to no longer existing and one where a win could not be bought for love or money in the early days of this season.

But every single defeat was taken on the chin as the players worked even harder to try and get that first and important win of the season under their belts. Slowly but surely things were turned around and as a result Galmpton have pulled away from the bottom of the table and before today’s game were in fifteenth place on twenty seven points. They have played a total of twenty eight games, winning eight, drawing three and losing seventeen. Along the way they scored forty five goals, conceded sixty three giving them a minus eighteen goal difference.

In their last home game they did well to beat Sidmouth Town by one goal to nil and were unlucky to lose by the same score line away to high flying Teignmouth the week before that. They also recently enjoyed a fine four one home win against Bottom club Exwick Villa, the team that a month earlier had beaten Stoke Gabriel at the G J Churchward Memorial Ground by two goals to one.

As many of you will know as a very young schoolboy I spent my Saturday afternoons at the Rec as I was the Newton Abbot Spurs mascot

davesworld.proboards.com/thread/177/newton-spurs-upbringing

I later had a family member who was regarded as a top local player who ended up playing for Liverton, the man in question was Terry Waye and so I also took a great interest in Liverton back then.

I have known Justin Yeates for a good number of years and when he took over the reins out at Liverton the club was at its lowest ever point in its history. Its been a hard few seasons for him with often little reward, but he stuck to the task and put some pride back into the club. Sadly for Liverton Justin will be stepping down at the end of this season and he will be missed for sure.

Last weekend Liverton enjoyed a great three goals to two home win against the early league leaders Crediton United which was in contrast to their league game before that when they were thumped by nine goals to one away at Appledore the team I watched in action last Saturday against Stoke Gabriel.

Galmpton played Liverton away on the thirteen of August and lost by three goals to nil, but as we know they have improved greatly on the pitch since then and would have fancied their chances against the team sitting just four league places above them and only five points better off.

Liverton’s league record to date is played twenty seven, winning ten, drawing two and losing fifteen, scoring thirty eight goals, conceding a massive seventy two giving them a minus thirty four goal difference, so a lot will depend on how the Liverton defence plays against the forward line of Galmpton.

Liverton Team Photo of the 78/79 team featuring Terry Waye.

Back row left to right

M.Alford…..John Guest….Glen Bladen….K.Holcombe….Andy Gilden….Clive Randels….G.Lucas….I. Rumbelow….D Pady


Front Row

Phil Padden….Gerry Wotton….Terry Waye….Maurice Billinghurst….Geddy Banden….Tony Elsby….Geoff Brimblecombe

Match Report.


Well what a game of football that was that ended with a rather surprising score line that no one was expecting after a goalless first half where It looked likely only one goal was going to settle the match

Match referee Aaron Reed got the game underway under a dull and rather cloudy sky and neither team were able to get on top and take control of the game. Plenty of hard work was being put in by both sets of players without either keeper really being tested.

The first half chance fell to Galmpton’s Stuart Bowker who got on the end of the ball played into the Liverton box from the right hand side, he hit the shot well enough but the ball ended up going just wide of the right hand post.

Galmpton then had another chance to take the lead when a free kick was taken out on the left hand side. Richard Farkins rose above everyone else but could not keep his headed effort down and had to stand and watch the ball fly over the crossbar.

The game at this stage was end to end but it was Galmpton that looked the most likely to take the lead. Lee Thane made a great run into the right hand side of the Liverton box and fired a good shot past the Liverton keeper Simon Primmer, but a Liverton defender managed to hook the ball off the line stopping a certain goal.

Liverton did come close to taking the lead themselves when they won a free kick that was fired over to the left hand side to Neil Last. He burst into the Galmpton box and from a tight angle hit a powerful shot that crashed against the left hand post and behind for a goal kick.

Lots more hard work from both sets of players but the goal mouth action was drying up somewhat, that was until Liverton’s Ian Down hit a good shot from just outside the box that just went wide of the left hand post.

Up the other end and a good turn and shot close in from Galmpton’s Matt Barkwell was goal bound until it just got blocked and defected behind for a Galmpton corner. That was the last real action of the first half and I was starting to wonder if I was going to see a goal scored today.

The second half got under way and Liverton briefly made a good start but soon found themselves behind in the game. They gave away a needless free kick just outside of their own box that was taken by Stuart Bowker. The Liverton keeper seemed to make a right mess of what should have been an easy save, but looking at my photos it seems the ball hit him the face as it did have a fair amount of pace on it.

Liverton did not recover from that first goal and just two minutes later were even further behind. The very impressive Thomas Johns was played into the Liverton box and he coolly picked his spot and fired the ball home.

Any chance of Liverton getting back into the game was soon ended when Thomas Johns scored his second goal which was a typical goal poacher’s goal right on the goal line itself when the ball came in low from the right hand side and was not collected by the Liverton keeper Simon Primmer.

Liverton made a big effort to get back into the game but could have gone even further behind when Matt Barkwell hit a good shot from the edge of the box that only just cleared the crossbar. Liverton’s Conner Stewart was able to get a shot away from the edge of the Galmpton box, but that effort also cleared the crossbar.

The Liverton heads started to drop and it was mostly all one way traffic now. Both Matt Barkwell and Stuart Bowker never stopped running up front for Galmpton and were both to be soon rewarded for their hard work.

Galmpton were awarded a free kick deep in their own half that was punted forward and picked up by Thomas Johns out wide on the left deep in the Liverton half. He played and inch perfect ball low and deep towards the back of the box that was met by a first time shot into the back of the net by Stuart Bowker.

Stuart Bowker played a big part in Galmpton’s fifth and final goal of the match. He showed and used his great strength to hold off a Liverton player before playing the most perfect through ball for Matt Barkwell to get into the box with just the keeper to beat which he did with ease.

The match referee blew up for the end of the game and Galmpton were worthy winners, but I did feel a bit for the Liverton players who gave their all and maybe did not deserve to be beaten by such a high score.

I thought today’s referee Arron Reed had a very good game, he kept it flowing and resisted getting out any cards when other referees might have done for one or two of the fouls that were committed during the match.

Well done Galmpton for ending the season in far better shape than you started it, hard work, determination and the will to improve has paid its dividends.