Post by Dave on Sept 2, 2018 11:37:57 GMT
Venue Homers Heath
Match Referee Robin Connelly Referee Assistants Adam Willer & Jordan Griles
Final Score Buckland LFC 3 Brislington LFC 0
Match Preview
I really miss not being able to cover football matches on Saturdays due to work commitments, but I felt this game was one I could cover as at least I am still getting Sundays off.
I first watched the Buckland ladies play in their very first season back in 2015, as a new team they had to start off in the Devon Woman’s Football League Division One. This new team was made up of many of the former Torquay United Ladies team who had played at a much higher level.
As a result the Buckland Ladies thrashed every team they played and in their first four games that season, scored an incredible forty nine goals, Laura Gough has got twenty eight of them herself. The team was rightly promoted into the South Western Woman’s League Premier Division
In the 2017/18 season the Buckland Ladies won every single league match they played in, scoring an amazing ninety four goals and only conceded just ten. The only way is up they say and Buckland LFC joined the F.A Woman’s National League Southwest Division this season.
To date they have only played one league fixture of this new season on the 19th August against Keynsham Town, a team many fancy for the title this season. Buckland found themselves on the wrong end of a nine goals to nil score line, a result that showed this season is going to be much tougher for the Buckland Ladies.
Brislington LFC have also not started the season well, having played two games to date and losing both of them. They were beaten by seven goals to four at home against Cheltenham Ladies on Sunday the 19th August. They played again on the 26th August again at home against Southampton WFC and lost by three goals to nil.
I am not 100% sure of the format of this cup, but I believe the winner of this game goes into the first round proper, with the losing team automatically entered into the Vase.
We know the Buckland team has goals in it and I would expect much has been learnt from their first game in this league against Keynsham Town.
Match Report
As I left my home in Paignton and got to Tweenaway traffic lights, I had no thoughts of turning right and heading over to Plainmoor to watch the Torquay United ladies game. Yes there was no entry charge and it was an FA Cup game, but I knew where my heart was telling me to go and that was to Homers Heath.
Simply because Buckland are a real football club and one that deserves all the support it can get, a club on the up and up and one where you always feel so welcome. I paid my £3 entry which included a programme and went and had a chat with Big Roy who I have not seen for a while.
When the game got underway I could not believe the standard of football I was watching, so much better than when I watched Buckland Ladies play in their very first season in 2015. But then back then it was hard to tell just how good they were and would become, because in most games the opposition had given up well before the halftime break.
What impressed me most today was Buckland’s organization, the player’s skill on the ball, their movement, passing ability and pace. Add in plenty of strong tackling and I very soon forgot this was a ladies game of football. Grant Fisher has clearly done such a good job with his team which is a credit to the Buckland Athletic club.
The Buckland Ladies dominated this game from the very first whistle until the final one and I struggle to understand how they could have lost their opening league game so heavily. But if they play the way they did today, I can’t see them losing many more game this season.
The match referee Robin Connelly got the game underway and Buckland went straight into attacking mode and came close to taking an early first half lead. The ball was played into the Brislington box from the right and side and close in by the post, Adele Rogers stabbed the ball just wide.
Buckland camped themselves in the Brislington half and one very good passing move played Abi Meyers into the box, but she blasted her shot high and wide of the target. But Buckland soon took the lead when a great pass played in Sarah Stacey who coolly looked up and slotted the ball past Vicky Powell who was in goal for Brislington.
It was not a case of would Buckland score again, it was how many and they soon made it two goals to nil. The ball came into the near post from the right hand side and the Brislington keeper made a bit of a hash of dealing with the ball and only managed to knock it towards the goal line. Bucks Sarah Stacey reacted the quickest and got to the ball a fraction before the defender could to poke it over the goal line.
Brislington were slack at the back an allowed Natalie Warman and easy passage into their box, Natalie got the ball under control and fired off a god shot that was well saved one handed by the Brislington keeper.
The referee blew up for halftime and Buckland could have gone in winning by a higher margin. The game restarted with a rare and meaningful attack by Brislington, but it came to nothing and Buckland very soon regained full control of the match.
From a corner Bucks Courtney Butt fired over the crossbar very close to the goal line. From another Buckland corner the ball was flicked up on to the crossbar and stayed in play but was eventually cleared.
Yet another Buckland corner and this time they made it count, the ball was fired towards the back post from the right hand side and headed back towards the middle of the goal and was then headed home powerfully by Courtney Butt.
Despite all the strong tackling in the game only one player went into the referees notebook, Bucks Jodie Chubb made a rather reckless challenge, but I thought the booking was a bit harsh given the spirit in which the game was played.
A big well done to the Buckland Ladies you were superb today and fully deserved your victory.
