Post by Dave on Sept 9, 2023 9:31:15 GMT
Robert Williams Estate Agents Senior Cup
Match Referee Paul Sharples
Final Score Paignton Saints 4 Watcombe Wanderers 1
Match Preview
After a very enjoyable moth covering games from both the Western League and the Peninsula League, its time to cover a game featuring two South Devon League sides.
This game stood out for me and one I knew I had to cover, if only to answer a few questions I may have had. As we know Buckland Athletic 2nds, Newton Abbot Spurs 2nd and Paignton Saints all decided to leave the Devon league and rejoin the South Devon League. The main reason being the Devon League being reduced to just one division meaning a great deal of extra travelling over the coarse of the season.
All three clubs were under the impression that they would simply drop down into the Premier Division of the South Devon league, but the league officials had other ideas. All three teams were placed in Division One.
Buckland having a new team for this season did not mind, Newton Spurs were very unhappy and felt there were some underhand dealings going on at the AGM. I never heard the thoughts of Paignton Saints; I think they simply accepted the situation.
If any of the clubs had been relegated, then they would have dropped into the Premier League, but that was not the case and some felt they should have been placed in Division Four as new teams to the league. It is what it is and all the decisions have been made, but it is going to a tough year for some of the teams in Division One this season as Harbertonford found out last Saturday.
The question I need answering is, what sort of gap is there between a team that has played in the Devon League and a team in the South Devon League? The best news is with these three clubs and a number of new teams joining the South Devon League this season; it has grown larger for the first time in years.
It should be remembered that the Watcombe first team were in the Devon league a number of years ago, but the club folded that side and their seconds have become known as the firsts since then. Last season they were almost unbeatable in Division Two and were crowned as the champions of that division.
Paignton Saints have yet to kick a ball in anger this season and this will be their first completive match of the new season. Watcombe Wanderers did play their first league game last Saturday at home against
Babbacombe Corinthians 1st and won they game by four goals to nil.
Watcombe are a strong physical side with a winning mentality and will come into the game with no fear. Saints have a good number of class players in their side and will fancy their chances of winning the match.
It is a cup game and anything can happen as it often does, I am expecting this to be a cracking game with goals and plenty of action. May the best team win.
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Match report
A very hot and bright afternoon and thankfully the match referee let the players take a number of water breaks, they needed it. Not the conditions photographers like, the lighting is far too harsh and players faces always darkened by the shadows caused by the sun, but we have to get on with it.
Paignton Saints are a very good side make no mistake about that. In the early part of the game Watcombe struggled to deal with the pace and movement of the Saints front players. Going two goals behind in any game can be hard to come back from, even harder when you concede a penalty that puts you even further behind. But manager less Watcombe never gave up and enjoyed a very good second half, the only thing missing were the goals they needed.
The match referee got the game underway and while Watcombe started well enough, they went behind to a very early goal in the match. Their defensive was pushed up rather high and a defence splitting pace saw Joe Wilden use his pace to get onto the ball. He raced into the Watcombe box and with just the keeper to beat, slotted the ball home.
Before Watcombe had the time to get over going behind so early, they went even further behind. Matt Micklewright took a curling right foot shot from the edge of the left hand side of the box. It looked to be heading just inside the far post, Scot Taylor in goal for Watcombe had to stretch hard to his left to try and catch the ball. While he got both hands on the ball he dropped it and Charlie Cuss was there to fire the loose ball into the back of the net.
Saints put a passing move together that must have consisted of at least forty passes, but the ball never left their own half, when the ball was finally played forward it was over hit and picked up by a Watcombe player.
Watcombe’s Brad Lyon hit a powerful goal bound shot that fortunately for Saints was blocked on route to the goal. Saints should have gone three goals in front when they won a free kick on the halfway line. The ball was fired high over the Watcombe defence and Saints Jake Powell used is pace to get onto the ball and take it into the Watcombe box. With just the keeper to beat he hit his shot
Jake Powell then showed his skill and pace again out by the left hand corner flag, he beat his man and from just inside the box fired a good low right foot shot at goal. Scot Taylor did well to get down low and save the ball by the left hand post.
A great ball was played into the Saints box from the right hand side of the pitch, Ryan Bealey rose well but his header went wide of the target. Watcombe won a free kick on the edge of the Saints box, but did not make anything from it.
Watcombe then went even further behind when the referee pointed to the spot. Matt Micklewright hit a goal bound shot from just outside the box. The ball hit the arm of Eliott Mcintost . I did not see it from my angle but the match referee at halftime informed me the ball was going in if it had not hit the players arm and therefore had to give it. Billy Reay put the ball on the spot and fired it hard and low just inside the right hand post. Scott Taylor went the right way and so nearly got a hand on the ball.
Watcombe then gave themselves a crumb of hope when they pulled a goal back. The ball was out to the right of the Saints goal and a miss hit cross ended up more of a shot on goal. The ball was looking to drop under the crossbar, Fenton Machenzie who looks rather small for a goal keeper did well to jump up high to try and catch the ball. Sadly for him he dropped it and as he himself was falling to the ground Cario Broadway was there to poke the ball home. Sadly his boot also ended up kicking the head of the keeper.
There was a long delay while the keeper was treated but in the end he was unable to carry on and had to be substituted. The game restarted and another defence splitting pass saw Joe Wilden race to get on the end of it, the Watcombe keeper came rushing out of his box and just managed to get to the ball a fraction before and boot it clear.
Watcombe were enjoying a good spell from a corner Luke Lewis headed over, could they get another goal back before the break? Well the answer was no and the last action of the first half was a very wild effort form twenty yards by Saints Joe Wilden that went high over the crossbar.
The referee blew up for halftime, what would the second half bring. The first effort of the half was a twenty yard effort from Watcombe’s Brad Lyon that went wide of the post. Saints won a free kick twenty yards out that was taken by Matt Micklewright that flew over the bar.
Watcombe were now playing three up front, a great cross in to the Saints box was headed just over by Toby Broadway. Luke Lewis hit a thirty five yard effort wide of the right hand post, the front players needed better balls played up to them rather than hitting long range efforts.
Watcombe were well on top, but had to be aware of the danger Saints still posed to them. Matt Micklewright played a very neat one two that saw him in the box with just the keeper to beat, his chipped effort just cleared the crossbar. Shortly afterwards we raced into the left and side of the box and got a shot away that the keeper did well to save and push behind for a Saints corner.
From a Watcombe corner Luke Lewis headed over, Cario Broadway hit a shot from the edge of the box just wide, a goal would not come for Watcombe. Matt Micklewright hit another good shot that was well saved by the keeper; were there more goals still to come?
The biggest noise of the afternoon came from the stand when Saints made a sub, on came Dave Clarke, he soon got goal number four for his side. The ball was crossed low into the Watcombe box from the left hand side. It went passed everyone and was picked up out on the roght by a Saints player who fired it back in. The ball ended up at Dave Clarke’s feet close in and he fired it home.
Watcombe’s Sam Martin received a yellow card for a foul on the halfway line; it was the only book for the whole match. One final twenty five yard effort by Watcombe sailed over the bar and the match referee blew up for the end of the game.
To answer the question in my match preview, there is a gap between a former Devon league clubs than a team that has just come up from Division Two of the South Devon League. Not sure how big it really is as Watcombe really made a game of it today. We will have to let the league tables give us the real answer later in the season.
Many thanks to Jake O’Donovan ffor all his help today and special thanks to Watcombe’s Eliott Mcintost for doing the Watcombe team sheet in absence of a team manager. Last but not least thanks to match referee Paul Sharples for all your help, you had a fine game in the middle young man.
