Post by Dave on Sept 23, 2024 12:59:22 GMT
Match Referee Ryan Dennis
Referee Assistants Cian Bolton & Ben Hilton
Referee Assistants Cian Bolton & Ben Hilton
Final Score Brixham AFC 0 Okehampton Argyle 2
Match Preview
A rare evening game under the floodlights for me which always poses problems for match photography. But this was a game I did not want to miss for a number of reasons.
In the 2022/2023 season both clubs were playing in the Peninsula premier East Division and faced each other on three occasions and Brixham won them all. Two league fixtures and one in the St Lukes Challenge Cup. Okehampton looked the most likely team to be crowned as the Peninsula East league champions that season, but it was Brixham AFC who claimed the crown and won promotion to the Western League. A remarkable achievement for a club only formed in 2012 that started life playing in the South Devon Football League
The clubs met again last season at Wall Park on the 8th August in an FA Cup Extra preliminary round under the floodlights. I covered the game and fully expected Brixham to win the game, but that is not how things turned out.
After 90 minutes neither team had been able to score and the match went into extra time. In the second period of extra time Brixham thought they had taken the lead when Tom Mortimore slotted the ball home. But his celebrations were short lived as the linesman raised his flag for offside. Moments later a great run into the right hand side of the box by Charlie Johanssen saw his low shot across the keeper that just hit the base of the far post and stay in play. Two opportunities that would have won the game for Brixham.
Then in the 110 minute, Danny Gaze was too tight to Luke Mortimore who was able to roll around Danny with ease in the middle of the pitch. Luke then charged at the Brixham defence and laid the ball off to Luke Alden to slot into the far corner of the net.
Before Brixham could even think about getting back onto level terms they went even further behind just a minute later. A long ball pumped forward beat the Brixham defence and Ben Bickle was able to lift the ball over the out rushing keeper into the back of the net.
Brixham will feel they have a score to settle but Okehampton once again are in fine form and will come to Wall Park with no fear after their cup win over Brixham last season.
The Western League is a very tough one and Brixham have made a good start in the new season. They are currently in seventh place from ten games on nineteen points. Their record to date, won five, drawn two and lost one, scoring a total of twenty goals and conceding five.
It is no surprise to see Okehampton has once again made a very good start this season in the Peninsula League. They are currently sitting in 2nd place on twenty points, one point behind league leaders Cullompton Rangers, but they do have two games in hand over them.
There record, played nine, won six, drawn two and lost one, scoring a total of twenty six goals, but they have conceded thirteen. Their only defeat was away to Sidmouth Town on the 14th September and were beaten by three goals to one.
They got back to winning ways the following Wednesday beating league leaders Cullompton Rangers by three goals to one. Last Saturday they knocked Millbrook AFC out of the FA Vase at home winning the game four goals to nil.
Brixham AFC has won their last four Western League fixtures and as they where in last seasons cup match against Okehampton Argyle, should start as slight favourites to progress to the next round. I have covered one game this season featuring Okehampton Argyle when they faced Stoke & Torbay Police away. They won the game by three goals to two, their winning third goal coming in confused circumstances.
May The Best Team Win.
Have you joined the South Devon Football Facebook Group ( Davesworld) yet?
You can now also follow Davesworld on twitter @ DavesworldR1
Tonight's Programme
Match report
Brixham AFC are out of the cup and partly due to pressing the self destruct button and things going from bad to worse. Five players who started last Saturday were all missing and I have to give credit to the team that did start tonight, they all worked so hard and gave everything they had.
But you can’t give a team like Okehampton two absolute gifts so early in the game; from there it was always going to be an uphill battle. To be fair if the game had been decided by the amount of goal scoring opportunities created, Okehampton would have been the clear winners anyway.
A highly contested match and very entertaining to watch, plenty of skill and flair on show from both sides, not dirty in anyway so I was surprised to see three players receive their marching orders in the second half.
A few of the Okehampton players just got to the ground in time thanks to the road works at Windy Corner, thankfully I was aware how bad it was and left my home extra early. The pitch looked lovely under the lights and this season it is slightly longer than last season due to FA requirements. The standing area behind the former Pontins end has had to be sacrificed.
The match referee got the game underway and seconds later the ball ended up in the next door allotments. Only problem was Brixham had forgot to bring the match balls out and someone had to run back to the dressing rooms to fetch them. They were gone a while and before they did return the ball had been retrieved and put back into play.
Brixham went on the attack from the off but with the game only minutes old found themselves one goal behind. There was no danger and a simple ball was laid back to the centre half. I must have looked down for a split second as when I looked up Okehampton’s Dan Koita was running into the Brixham box all on his own with only the keeper to beat. He coolly picked his spot and fired the ball into the top right hand corner of the game. Gift number one.
Brixham went straight on the attack again, a great through ball played Jaden Maslen into the Okehampton box but Jack Arthur who was in goal for Okehampton was quick off his line and just got to the ball first.
Okehampton won the first corner of the game that was well defended by the Brixham defence. Then their captain Luke Mortimore hit a twenty yard effort at goal that went straight into the arms of the keeper.
Billy Tucker went on a good run and got a shot away from the edge of the Brixham box, but his shot went wide of the right hand post. Dan Koita showed his skill inside the Brixham box, but this time his effort on goal went well wide of the target.
Brixham started to move the ball well, but then came gift number two. A player had the ball at his feet out on the right hand side in his own half. He came under pressure from an Okehampton player and instead of looking to blast the ball down the line; he turned and tried to pass it back to his keeper. The ball had a fair way to go and while Dan Gillard was on his way to collect it, danger man Dan Koita got to the ball first, went past the keeper and tapped the ball over the goal line.
Okehampton were looking dangerous every time they went forward, a great ball was fired towards the back post from the right hand side, Luke Mortimore rose well and headed the ball down but it went straight into the arms of the keeper.
I was pleased to see George Dandridge in the Brixham side tonight, a player I first watched many years ago when he played for Galmpton. He broke up so many attacks and was always looking to get the ball forward. He did go on a good run of his own and took a shot from the edge of the box that was saved by Jack Arthur. Ben Hopkins tried his luck from some distance, but once again it was an easy save for the Okehampton keeper.
Brixham did come close to getting a goal back when a good ball was played into the Okehampton box from the right hand side. Tom Mortimore at pace tried to get on the end of it but was always stretching and while he got his left boot on the ball, it rolled just past the left hand post.
Dan Koita was causing problems in the Brixham box again, his first shot was blocked and the ball came back to him, his second effort was well caught by Dan Gillard. Things then seemed to get even worse for Brixham when Ewan Howarth conceded a penalty. Owen Pickard put the ball down on the spot and Dan Gillard went the right way, but due to players blocking my view I am not sure if he saved it or the ball hit the post.
George Dandridge got another shot away from the edge of the Okehampton box but his shot lacked enough power to trouble the keeper. Brixham passes were getting pick off far to easily as the hard working Okehampton players were determined to hold onto their lead in the match.
The referee blew up for halftime and Brixham were going to have to create much better goal scoring opportunities if they had any hope of getting back into the game. Were there players on the bench who might turn the game in their favour?
The Brixham players must have been relived to see Dan Koita not coming out for the second half, he had been such a threat during the first half. The Okehampton manager was screaming at the referee as he felt he was taking to long to get the second half underway. So the ref came over to have a chat with him that and only delayed the start even longer.
Brixham had the first attack of the second half; Aaron Wellington burst into the Okehampton box and got a good shot away that was well blocked by the keeper with the ball going behind for a corner. The game was now end and I felt Brixham needed to find a goal as early as they could.
Luke Mortimore took over the danger man roll for Okehampton and burst into the Brixham box and forced Dan Gillard into making another good save.
Brixham won a free kick out on the right in a promising position, but with players in the box waiting for the ball to come in, the kicker went straight for goal and the ball flew over the crossbar.
Okehampton sent another good ball into the Brixham box from the left hand side, Callum Thomas did ever so well to get a good head on the ball and get it away from the danger area. Okehampton were looking the more likely side to score the next goal, Brixham were just unable to create any decent chances to get them back into the game.
If things were hard for Brixham they got even harder when Aaron Wellington was shown a straight red card. To far away to have an opinion on it myself, but the referee was very close to it and there were no real protests from any of the Brixham players.
A few Brixham players lost their discipline, Tom Motimore was shown a yellow card for needlessly pulling down an Okehampton player.
Okehampton had a good chance to increase their lead when sub Ciaran Payne was played clear in on goal, but he failed to get any real power in his shot. Luke Mortimore was in the box again and got another shot away that forced Dan Gillard into making a diving save and getting the ball behind for a corner. From the resulting corner the ball was headed away but fell to Josh Robins who was twenty yards out, he fired the ball at goal but his effort just cleared the crossbar.
Brixham got an effort on goal and the ball was loose down near the keeper who was on the deck. Three or four Brixham players tried to win the loose ball. The ref blew up for a foul and there was a short handbag moment and I thought that was it. But the referee decided to go over and talk with his linesman while the keeper reminded down receiving treatment. The referee than walked over to Brixham’s Jack Shelton And showed him a red card.
Now down to nine men it really was game over for Brixham, the bench were not happy with the decision one little bit. Not sure the game even restarted before the referee was talking to the same linesman again. He then walked over to Okehampton’s Josh Robins and showed him a straight red card. I heard him tell the player it was for foul and abusive language.
Two further bookings happened, one for Brixham and one for Okehampton before the referee blew for fulltime. Okehampton were worthy of their win, it was not Brixham’s day and too many things went against them in the game. Good luck to Okehampton in the next round.
I got home and sorted out the match photos by 12.30am and then went to bed. Back up again at 4.40am to write this report, I am either mad or I just love doing this too much.
