Post by Dave on Sept 30, 2023 8:36:53 GMT
Match referee Conor Morgan
Final Score Brixham Town 0 Newton Abbot Spurs 2nd 1
Match Preview
Every Sunday during the season I check all the fixture lists in search of my next game to cover. Some fixtures just jump out at me as games that really have the potential to be the sort of games I really want to watch and cover. I normally end up with a choice of three games I selected that I need to reduce to one, a task which is not always an easy one.
So why this game? Well it is an early season top of the table clash between two clubs that for different reasons are special to me. One for my own childhood connections and the other for their incredible progress since reforming.
Brixham Town were voted back into the South Devon league for the 2020/21 season and were placed in division three and were unbeatable the whole season. They played 18 games, won 17 and drew one, scoring a massive 77 goals and conceding only 17 goals in total. Not only did the team win the league they also won the Ronald Cup beating Totnes & Dartington Reserves by three goals to one in the final.
They did very well last season in Division two and while finishing in forth place in the league table, were promoted to Division One for this season.
But it is also off the pitch one has to admire the Brixham Town club. Driven by the hard working and dedicated Shaun Langdon the club took over a very run-down agriculture field next to the Brixham Cricket club and set about turning it into a decent sports venue for the club.
Having to fight a few local objections along with having to raise large sums of money, the club finally made their dreams come true and the J.C Park is now the official home of Brixham Town. One wonders just how far this club can go and how the J.C. Park will look in ten years time. Remember Brixham AFC of the Western league were playing in the South Devon League not that many years ago.
It might have been sixty years ago, but I remember so well the pride I felt as a very young boy being the Newton Abbot Spurs mascot. Many of my own family members played their role back then, from making the teas and even training the players. I have Spurs to thank for my love of grassroots football.
My Newton Spurs Upbringing
davesworld.proboards.com/thread/177/newton-spurs-upbringing
Brixham Town have made a very good start to life in Division One of the South Devon Football League. They proudly sit in second place in the league table on the same number of points as league leaders Spurs 2nd, separated only by goal difference.
Their record to date is played four and won four giving them a total of twelve points, scoring a total of sixteen goals, conceding four and therefore have a plus twelve goal difference.
On the opening day of the season they were away against Upton Athletic 1st and won the game by four goals to one. Next up was a home game against Harbertonford which they won by six goals to nil. Their next two game were both away, the first one against Totnes & Dartington 1st which they won by three goals to two and last weekend against Paignton Villa 1sts which they won by three goals to one.
Last season Newton Abbot Spurs played in the Devon league and along with Paignton Saints and Buckland Athletic 2nds, decided to rejoin the South Devon Football League. The club has made no secret how unhappy they were to be placed in Division One and not the Premier League. I think they are on a mission this season to prove what a mistake the league has made.
In their opening game they faced Harbertonford away and thrashed them by eleven goals to one. Next game was also away against Paignton Villa 1st which they won by four goals to two. Third game was away again against Buckland Athletic 2nd an easy four goals to nil win for Spurs 2nd. Last weekend they played their first home game of the season and beat Upton Athletic 1st by six goals to one.
The huge win against the Fords has meant Spurs 2nd have scored a total of twenty five goals already and conceded four giving them a plus twenty one goal difference.
Newton Spurs 2nd will start as the favourites for this match, but Town are a strong hard working side that have the winning mentality. It will be a fascinating encounter and a game that should have plenty of goals in it. May the best team win on the day.
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Match Report
While not the goal feast I was expecting, this was an action packed fast flowing game of football. I did wonder before the match with Brixham Town coming up from Division Two this season into Division one, how well they would fare facing a former Devon league side. To be honest there was very little between the two sides and Town will feel they more than deserved a share of the points. If a late penalty shout deep into injury time had been given they would have. One thing for sure the Newton boys sure knew they were in a very hard fought match that for most of it could have gone either way.
The last time I was at the JC Park the pitch the game was played on today had only just been seeded. Today it was lush grass and better than most you will find in the South Devon League.
The match referee got the game underway and it was end to end football from the off, but there was nothing to choose between the two sides. There was a very early shout for a Brixham penalty that was not given which was the correct decision.
Newton’s birthday boy Jack Upsher made a good run into the Brixham box and fired a low shot at goal that just went wide of the left hand post. Up the other end Towns Jamie Warran also made a good run into Spurs box but his shot also went wide of the left hand post.
Both sides looked good when they were attacking and at this stage of the match it was just a question which team would score the first goal. A great cross from the right hand side into the Brixham box looked perfect for Oliver Critchlow to head home, but he failed to make a clean contact on the ball.
Brixham came so very close to taking the lead and maybe should have. The ball was played low into the right hand side of the Spurs box. The keeper came rushing out but Towns Jamie Warren got there a second before him and got the ball past him. He then hit a very tame shot just wide of the post when the ball should have been busting the back of the net.
A ball played deep into the back of the Town box was met by Spurs Tom Johns but he sliced his effort well wide of the target. He then hit a powerful twenty yard effort that Cam Atkinson in goal for Town managed to push around the left hand post. Spurs Lewis Jordan-Garner fancied his chances from thirty yards out, but his effort flew over the crossbar.
The referee blew up for halftime with the score still at nil nil, the half had just flown by due to the action packed nature of it.
From the restart Towns Jacob Durrant hit a long range effort over the bar and from a free kick; Haydn Cooke headed the ball just over the crossbar. You just felt a goal was coming soon.
Spurs Tom Johns hooked a shot from the edge of the Brixham box just over, also from the edge of the box Town Jake Self fired his effort over the bar. Then came Spurs best chance of the match. Riccardo Moranzoni who I was surprised to see wearing a Spurs shirt,( had only ever seen him playing for Brixham Town) played and inch perfect pass for Jack Upsher to run onto. With just the keeper to beat Jack hit a first time right foot shot that I was expecting to hit the back of the net. But Towns keeper Cam Atkinson pulled off a wonderful save to prevent his side from going behind.
Spurs upped the pressure on the Brixham defence, from the edge of the box Ali Nixon hit a good low shot that was saved by Cam. In the space of seconds three attempts were made on the Brixham goal and once again Cam Atkinson pulled out some fine reaction saves and the Spurs players were left wondering why they had not got one of those efforts over the goal line.
Up the other end and inside the right hand side of the spurs box Jacob Durrant tired to fire the ball inside the right hand post, but the Spurs keeper got across and blocked the shot with his legs by the post.
Rico hit a good shot from the edge of the Towns box wide of the right hand post, were we going to see a goal today? The tackles were getting stronger and the match referee was doing a fine job keeping on top of everything.
Late into the second half Spurs took the lead after they had won a corner. Jack Upsher fired the ball high into the Town box and up jumped Ali Nixon to head a powerful header at goal. Cam Atkinson off what looked like the save of the match, as he dived through the air and got as good strong hand on the ball. The ball went upwards but dropped back down and rolled over the line by the left hand post. I felt after such a good save in the first place it was hard on Cam the way the ball went in.
Brixham went up a gear as they tried to get back onto level terms in the remaining minutes. From a corner close in Haydn Cooke headed the ball over the bar. A couple of Towns players got a bit hot headed, it resulted in both Scott Walker and Ben Russell being shown yellow cards for very late tackles.
Tempers were rising slightly and then deep into the extra minutes that had been added on by Conor Morgan came the biggest talking part of the match. Town’s keeper had kicked a very long high ball towards the Spurs box. The question is who jumped into who. Did the Spurs keeper jump at the Town player or was it the other way around. The Town player hit the deck and looking at the photos I have put up, I could not make my mind up one way or the other.
The referee did not point to the spot and I heard some people around saying it was a penalty and others agreeing with the match referee.
As a natural at the match and seeing much hard work the Town players put in against a very good side, I felt a draw would have been a fair result. What it means is Spurs have now opened a three point gap at the top of the table.
Town can take heart from their efforts today and will I am sure chase Spurs over the coming games to not only close the gap, but even go above them.
Many thanks to both managers for all you wonderful help today and also to Conor who is always a pleasure to meet.
