Post by Dave on Mar 23, 2024 22:29:46 GMT
Lidstone Cup Quarter Final
Match Referee Phil Webb
Final Score Ipplepen Athletic 0 Barton Athletic 2
Match Preview
This match was due to have been played last weekend, but like so many other fixtures recently, the weather won again. For so many weeks now games have been cancelled which is only going to pile more pressure on clubs to for fill all the remaining fixtures.
I was surprised after Paignton Saints; Newton Spurs 2nd and Buckland 2nd left the Devon league and rejoined the South Devon League that Ipplepen 1st decided to carry on in the Devon League. They have not enjoyed the best of seasons for some reason, but were named as the Devon League team of the week this week after beating highfliers Beer Albion by three goals to one.
While the drive to their Moor Road ground is not my most favourite drive, the set up is very good and I have enjoyed all my visits to the ground. I was last there on the 29th October 2022 when the first team beat DC Auto Repairs by five goals to two.
Also that year on the 5th of March I covered the reserves Lidstone cup game against Newton Abbot Spurs 3rd which was a cracking cup tie with Spurs running out the winners by five goals to two.
Ipplepen Reserves like the 1st team have also not enjoyed a very good season to date and sit in 9th place in the league table one place above bottom club Brixham Town 2nd. Managing just two wins from the twelve league games they have played, they will be hoping for a win today to give all the players a much needed boost.
After two disastrous seasons for Barton Athletic 1st in which they were unable to record a single win, it resulted in them dropping from the Premier Division to Division Two this season. I have spoken before about how much admiration I have for this club for the way it has never given up and never pulled out of any fixture.
I was delighted the way they started life in Division Two and when I covered one of their away games against Paignton Saints 2nd at Coach Road on the 21st October, they were proudly sitting at the top of the table. Barton were two one up at halftime, but ended up suffering their first defeat of the season when Saints scored two second half goals which knocked Barton off the top spot.
Since that game Barton have dropped to 5th place in the table and have not played a game since 17th February. Barton are slight favourites to progress to the semi-finals, but this is a cup tie and Ipplepen 2nds do have the home advantage and will feel they have a very good chance of progressing themselves.
May the best team win
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Match Report
I woke up this morning and the first thing I did was look out of the window. I knew it was football day as it was raining, so I checked the forecast, 90% chance of rain at 2pm. Great I thought.
I made my way to the ground and the pitch looked in really good condition considering the amount of rain we have had over the last month or so. Yes it rained at 2pm but only for ten minutes and then we were treated to some afternoon sun. It was a bit cold and at times very windy, but at least I knew the fear of me shrinking even more had passed.
This was a very entertaining game to cover, end to end football and both sides having a number of stand out players. Barton were able to create that bit more in front of goal, but I personally did not think there was much to choose between the two sides.
A quick note on today’s referee, Phil Webb came out of retirement to ref this game due to the shortage of match referees currently. Seventy one years young and not as prepared physically as he might have been. Yet he kept up with the play and had a good game in the middle. I was pleased both sets of players showed him the respect he deserved.
The match referee got the game underway and the first half chance fell to the Pens. A Barton defender attempted to clear the ball out of his box but it ended up being defected to Pens Jacob Wales just wide of the right hand post. He got a good shot away aiming for the far corner, but Scott Taylor in goal for Barton was able to get two hands on the ball and push it away to safety.
The Pens won the first corner of the match but was easily dealt with by the Barton defence. Barton’s Cario was played neatly into the right hand side of the Pens box and it looked a really good chance to give his side the lead, but his effort went wide of the right hand post.
Pens Matt Bleakly made a good run down the left hand side and got a good shot away from just outside the box that just went wide of the far post. The wind was picking up and slightly affecting the game; the sun was out casting shadows on the player’s faces making the task of taking photos just that bit harder.
A good ball into the Barton box found Connor Breslan who curled his foot around the ball and hooked it over the crossbar. Then there was one of those handbag moments that thankfully soon ended and the players got back to the game.
Barton then took the lead in the match from a corner. I had felt their corners were falling a bit short, but this one ended up smack in the middle of the goal for Liam Northcott to head home.
The first player to have his name taken was Dan Tyler who pulled back a player that had just ran past him, he will say he took one for the team. Cario Broadway went on a strong run down the right hand side but the angle was getting tight, but he got a low shot away that Jake Lofthouse in goal for the Pens did well to block.
Bartons Oakley Hunt then also made a good strong run into the Pens box but a defender made a great saving tackle to end any danger. That was it really for the first half, Barton one nil up and the Pens were still very much in the match. Both sets of players remained out on the pitch.
Barton’s Dan Tyler had the first attempt on goal in the second half, a shot from outside of the Pens box that went well over the crossbar.
The Pens were enjoying their best spell of the match as they looked to get back onto level terms. Brandon Hughes hooked a shot from inside the left hand side of the Barton box just over the bar.
Up the other end Jamie Watson found himself in the left hand side of the Pens box and got a low shot away that was well blocked by the keeper. The Pen players were giving it their all but they then went even further behind. Tom Davis battled hard out on the right and laid an inch perfect ball to the edge of the box for Robbie King to blast home.
Matt Bleakley was the next player to have his name taken for a foul. The pens won a free kick that was fired into the right hand side of the box, Jacob Wales got on the end of hit but hooked his shot wide of the left hand post.
Barton had a good chance in increase their lead when Matt Bleakly hit a powerful shot from the edge of the pens box that only just went wide of the right hand post.
Pens Brandon Hughes has a great chance to pull a goal back for his side. The ball was headed on and dropped close to the penalty spot, but Scott Taylor made a good save.
Barton came close again when Zach Norton hit a goal bound shot from the edge of the box that Jake Lofthouse did well to reach up and push over his crossbar.
The referee blew up for fulltime and Barton who were just that bit better on the day are in the semi-final of the Lidstone cup, but the Pens players had given their all and had their moments in the match.
Many thanks to the Pens manager and also Ben Kent for all your help with the team sheet today. Extra special thanks to so many of the Barton players who thanked me for covering their game today. It is always nice to feel appreciated and it meant a lot to me.
