Post by Dave on Aug 18, 2018 9:48:15 GMT
Carlsberg Southwest Peninsula League Division One East
Final Score Stoke Gabriel 5 Budleigh Salterton 1
Match Preview
On the very few occasions when I have been down on the rota to have a Saturday off, I have ended up agreeing to work it due to staff shortages. True to form I was asked yesterday if I could work today but said no this time as I can’t keep working six days a week at my age.
But it was more then having to keep working the whole week, I simply miss watching a game of football on a Saturday afternoon, it is what Saturdays were made for and I had made my mind up earlier in the week, this Saturday was going to be a football one.
There has been a number of surprise changes to Division One East this season, the first one being Waldon Athletic joining the league from the South Devon League. It is great to finally see a South Devon League club join this league, but like others I do wonder how their ground passed the grading system.
It was also sad to see Galmpton leave Division One East and now playing in Division Four of the South Devon League. But at least they will now be back playing in green and not the red shirts of Roselands which is something I felt should never have been allowed to have happened.
The other shock news was Stoke Gabriel deciding to drop back down from the Premier League to Division One East. Their very first time in the premier was rather disastrous and they ended up being relegated back to Division One East. After winning promotion back to the Premier Division they enjoyed a much better season the second time around, so I am not sure why they elected to drop back down again.
It could be down to the extra costs, having to pay for three match officials and all the extra travelling, but I feel it could be down to the floodlight issue and the cost of having to install them at the ground.
What Sort Of Start Has The Two teams Made This Season?
Stokes first game was away to Ilfracombe on the 11th August and did not play particularly well, but took the lead on the half hour mark of the first half. But with just three minutes left on the clock Ilfracombe scored denying Stoke all three points.
Stoke were at home for their second game on the 14th August against local rivals Brixham AFC, the fist half was a cagey affair when Stoke scored the only goal of the match, they enjoyed a much better second half without being able to add to their first half lead.
Budleigh Salterton have only played on game to date on the 11th August away to Crediton United, a game they lost by a single goal and so came to Stoke hoping to get their first points of the season.
Match Report
It seemed a very long morning waiting to get in my car and drive to today’s match, but as soon as I had left home, I felt that buzz inside that only comes from knowing you are on your way to watch a game of football.
The pitch was cut very short and looked in need of plenty of rain, but that was to be expected due to this heat wave we have been enduring for so long now. Before the match there was a photo shoot that took place for one of the clubs sponsors.
The game got underway and it was all a bit frantic to start with neither team able to get on top or create and real goal scoring opportunities. The first piece of good play was by Budleigh’s number eleven Jake Chudley who went on a powerful run from the hallway line to the edge of the Stoke box. He certainly seemed to have been fouled when he reached there, but the match referee gave nothing.
Stoke were slowly getting more into the game and looked the most likely of the two sides to take the lead, so It was a bit of a shock when Budleigh took the lead. The ball was played into the Stoke box and Jack Howarth went for a spectacular overhead kick that went a bit wrong. But the ball went to the right for his team mate George Pannell to fire across the Stoke keeper Dom Aplin into the far bottom left hand corner of the goal.
Stokes first half chance fell to Frazer Clark on the edge of the Budleigh box, but his shot was wild and flew high over the crossbar. Stoke won a corner and Liam Mosely rose in the air well, but his headed effort just went wide of the right hand post.
Stoke were clearly looking to get back onto level terms and the match referee turned down a load penalty appeal, looking at my photos I think he got that one spot on. Liam Moseley had another good chance inside the Budleigh box, but he failed to get to much power into his shot, making the save low down very easy for Martin Hindle in goal for Budleigh.
But before the fist half ended Stoke did manage to get back onto level terms, the ball was driven across the front of the goal mouth from inside the box close to the right hand post and past the keeper for Liam Moseley to blast into the back of the net.
Stoke came out for the second half all guns blazing and it was no surprise when they look the lead, I think it was Robbie Bowker who jumped just in front of the advancing Budleigh keeper to head home after Frazer Clark had a superb header cleared off the line.
Every time Stoke went forward they looked like scoring and they soon made it three goals to one. It was Budleigh who were on a rare second half attack that was well broken down by the Stoke defence. Two passes later the ball was at the feet of liam Moseley who coolly took on the last defender and slotted the ball into the back of the net giving the keeper no chance at all.
Liam also got another good shot away that was well saved low down. Stoke brought on Steve Bowker who soon became a villain and then a hero. He got himself into the referees book for a challenge that would have been much worse if he had made more contact with the player he fouled. A few minutes later the ball was fired towards the back post of the Budleigh goal from the left hand side and Steve Bowker dived low to head the ball home.
With ten minutes left to play and after yet another Stoke attack, the players were clearing out of the Budleigh box but one player was still down on the deck on the edge of the box clearly in great pain. Thankfully I do not believe Karl Riddell was as badly injured as first feared, but he was unable to continue playing. With Budleigh already using all of their subs, in meant that were down to ten me.
Stoke wasted a number of very good chances to score even more goals and Budleigh who had not given up so nearly got another goal themselves, but Jake Chudley scooped the ball over the crossbar when he looked certain to score.
The best goal was saved to the very end of the ninety minutes, a long ball fired up to Steve Bowker who was just outside of the Budleigh box; it was a looping volley on the turn that sailed over the Budleigh keeper into the back of the net.
On today’s showing Stoke should do well in the league this season as they seem very solid at the back and have a number of players who know where the back of the net is. Budleigh did their best to make a game of it and will I am sure soon get their first points of the season.
