Post by Dave on Apr 30, 2022 8:21:12 GMT
The Title Decider
Match Referee Paul Allen
Match Assistants Steve Pearce & Mark Hickson
Match Assistants Steve Pearce & Mark Hickson
Final Score Teignmouth AFC 8 Plymstock United 1
Match Preview
The stage is set, the prize is known and the big question is will Teignmouth be crowned the league winners at the end of today’s game. It must be every clubs dream to play their last game of the season at home knowing a win and only a win will see them crowned as the league champions.
Two teams have dominated the South West Division of the Devon League this season, Mount Gould FC and Teignmouth AFC. Mount Gould have completed all their fixtures and sit at the top of the table on 53 points having won 17 of the 20 games they played, drawn two and lost just the single game.
But Teignmouth go into today’s game in second place on 51 points, their record from the 19 games they have played is won 17, drawn none and lost just two games all season. Today Teignmouth need to beat the team just below them who are in 3rd place in the table. But to show you just how dominant the two top clubs have been, Plymstock United have only amassed a total of 29 points so far this season.
I had the pleasure of covering a McDonalds League Cup match at Coombe Lane on the 11th November 2021 against Topsham Town AFC. A week earlier Teignmouth had played Watcombe Wanderers away and thrashed them by 17 goals to nil.
In the cup match I saw just what makes a team potential champions, Topsham took an early two goal lead as Teignmouth went down to ten men when Phil Kingman hacked down Kevin Pike in the box. Match referee Andy Distan pointed to the spot and produced a red card for Phil.
The first half ended with the score unchanged and to be honest I could see no way back for Teignmouth. Ten man Teignmouth had other ideas and piled on the pressure for the whole of the second half and scored 3 goals in the process. One of the best comebacks I had witnessed for a very long time.
Report On That Game Here
davesworld.proboards.com/thread/920/teignmouth-topsham-town-13th-2021
Teignmouth last played against Plymstock United away in the McDonald Cup on the 9th April and won the game by four goals to two. In their away league game against Plymstock United played on the 15th January, Teignmouth won the game by two goals to nil. Will Teignmouth make it a hat trick of wins over Plymstock this season?
A special note on today’s match referee Paul Allen. The very first game Paul ever refereed was at Coombe Valley in September 1996. Paul reached 1000 games as a match official this week when he officiated the Brixham AFC and Cullompton Rangers game. Today will be his 1001 game as a match official. I have known Paul and his brothers a very long time and have covered so many games where Paul was in the middle or on the line. Paul is a true gentleman and a very likable person and is the perfect choice for today’s very important match.
I remember one game many years ago when Paul came close to hanging up his whistle after suffering the worst abuse I have ever witnessed directed towards a match official. Thankfully for local football he kept going and has become one of the best referees in Devon. We often forget the dedication and commitment so many local referees make and they should be respected at all times, even if you do not agree with any decisions they may make.
Paul Receiving His Award
Six years ago today on the 30th April 2016 I covered the game between Babbacombe Corinthians and Buckland Athletic 3rds, guess who the referee was that day as well.
davesworld.proboards.com/thread/559/div1-babbacombe-corinthians-buckland-3rds
Match Report
If you plan to end up at the end of the day as league champions in front of a bumper home crowd of 310, why not do it in real style. Teignmouth sent out a very loud message today “THIS IS WHY WE ARE THE CHAMPOINS” A class act from the very first whistle until the very last one, a display that said we are more than worthy of going up to the Peninsula League next season.Plymstock were simply not in the game, Teignmouth would not let them be.
Match referee Paul Allen got the game underway and Teignmouth went straight on the attack. Sean Ayre was hacked down just outside the Plymstock box, but nothing came from the free kick. From their second attack a good high ball was played into the box from the left hand side, Sean Ayre got a good head on the ball and forced Jack Smith in goal for Plymstock to push the ball over his crossbar.
From the resulting corner it was Sean who got his head on the ball again and this time his effort hit the back of the net. He had a chance for a second goal when he hit a power shot just inside the left hand side of the box, that Jack Smith did well to beat down.
Every time Teignmouth got into the Plymstock half they looked dangerous and looked like they had plenty more goals in them. Isaac Read hit a good low shot from the edge of the box that only just went wide of the right hand post.
Teignmouth added to their lead after some good work by Liame Jones. He burst into the Plymstock box from the right hand side close to the goal line. The keeper came to his left hand post but Liame was able to get the ball past him to the waiting Jack Baxter to fire home close to the goal line.
Minutes later is was three nil to the champions, another corner from the left hand side with the ball being fired in close to the left hand post for Sean Ayre to squeeze past the keeper. I was just writing down the goal in my note book when goal number four went in that I missed. But I do know the ball was headed in at the far post by Jack Baxter.
Teignmouth passing was first class, while Plymstock were reduced to hitting long hopeful balls that were easily dealt with by the strong Teignmouth defence. Teignmouth won a free kick just out side the Plymstock box that was taken by Myles James, but his effort went wide of the right hand post.
Plymstock were to get their first real chance of the first half, the ball was headed on into the Teignmouth box and Sam Davey hit a volley that flew over the crossbar.
Not content with four first half goal in the first half, Teignmouth added one more just before the break, a neat ball was played up to Ash Donahue who was on the edge of the box, he picked his spot and hit a clean low shot just inside the right hand post.
The match referee blew up for halftime and the Plymstock players decided to stay out on the pitch while the Teign lads headed back to the dressing room.
Could Plymstock mount any sort of comeback in the second half, if they had hoped they could those hopes were soon dashed when goal number six went in for Teignmouth.Ashley Donahue who ran the Plymstock defence raged all game went on a good run into the left hand side of the box and close in to the post got a shot away that was blocked by the legs of the keeper. But the ball dropped into the middle of the goal for Sean Ayre to blast home.
Against the run of play Plymstock pulled a goal back, the ball was played to the edge of the box and Scott Parsons hit a crisp low shot into the bottom right hand corner of the goal.
Lee Dark for Plymstock found his name being taken by the match referee as a few Plymstock challenges were getting a bit too feisty for Paul Allen’s liking.
The ever running and hard working Ashley Donahue then got his second goal of the match, he rose and headed the ball close to the penalty spot, it looked harmless enough, but while Jack Smith got his hands on the ball, he failed to keep it out.
There was a very big shout for a Teignmouth penalty that was not given as Teignmouth went in search of even more goals. Time after time the Plymstock defence was getting caught out by the running and pace of Ashley Donahue. He burst past the defence again, some near me thought he might have been offside, but he ran into the Plymstock box and passed the ball past Jack Smith into the back of the net.
Isaac Reed was played clean into the Plymstock box and looked certain to score, but he failed to do so. Jack Baxter hit a shot from the edge of the box that flew over the crossbar.
Up the other end two very rare chances for Plymstock, Rhuben Kane saw his shot beat away near the post by Harrison Montandon in goal for Teignmouth and Hayden Jenkins hit a shot that was also well blocked by the Teignmouth keeper.
Teignmouth substitute Hayden Roe hit a power driver of a shot right near the end of the half from the edge of the box that smashed against the right hand post.
Paul Allen looked at his watch and blew up for the end of the game. All the very young boys from Teignmouth raced onto the pitch to congratulate their heroes.
A very enjoyable game to watch, many thanks to the kind man who wrote down the first half goal scorers. Extra special thanks to Paul Allen for all his help yesterday and today. It was also good to see Buckland Nick at the game today. I wonder how long it will be for we see a Teignmouth V Buckland league game.
