Post by Dave on Oct 10, 2024 8:23:11 GMT
MJ Evans Accountants Devon Senior Cup
Match Referee Keith Hawkins
Final Score Paignton Villa 1st 1 Plymouth True Blues 3
Match Preview
Time for some Devon Cup action and a fixture a little closer to home for me. Gone are the days when we had eight or more Paignton based clubs playing in the South Devon Football League. Now there are just the two clubs, Paignton Villa and Paignton Saints.
Paignton Villa has been around since 1926 and now has three men’s teams playing in the South Devon Football League. They also have an ever improving Ladies team along with a host of junior teams and it is an excellently well run club.
Division One was always going to be tough last season with both Paignton Saints and Newton Abbot Spurs joining it from the Devon League. This season it also looks tough due to the top two sides from the Plymouth & District League deciding to move to the South Devon Football League. It is no real surprise to me that Plymouth True Blues and Plymouth Phoenix top the table currently.
As far as the title race is concerned it might end up a three horse race between The Blues, Phoenix and Bovey Tracey 2nds. But there is a long way to go still and things can change and there is other silverware for cubs to get their hands on.
I had the pleasure of meeting both the management and players from the Plymouth True Blues in a PSF/ Charity match against Stoke & Torbay Police, a game they won by four goals to two. If you did not read that report you can learn who they are here.
So Who Are Plymouth True Blues? in their own words
The Plymouth True Blues Rangers Supporters Club was founded in February 1988 and currently comprises of over 120 members. We are registered with Rangers Football Club as a Category A+ club, which is the highest category any club can attain, and this is a testament to the professional manner in which the club has been run over the last 36 years.
Since our formation, we have raised in excess of £100,000 for a variety of good causes through various fundraising means including Sportsman’s Dinners, abseils, race and quiz nights, football matches, and similar events. We recently raised £10,000 for the Lee Rigby Foundation through a charity match followed by a Gala Dinner at Plymouth Albion Rugby Club. This was to assist wounded veterans and their families with caravan holidays.
In 2023, we decided to set up our own football club and were approached by Mike Norris & Dean Jones who wanted to bring over their club, Mountwise AFC, to a well-established organisation like PTB. After numerous discussions and meetings, we formed Plymouth True Blues Football Club. Their initial year was in the P&D premier league where they finished a credible 3rd place. PTBFC's home pitch is at Millbay Park in Plymouth, a MoD asset primarily used by 29 Cdo Royal Artillery, which is just yards away from the PTB supporters club.
Over the past 8 months, we've recruited Plymouth based top-tier coaches Christian Evans and Neal Kinsman and secured sponsorships from six reputable companies, ensuring financial stability and essential resources like new kits and training equipment.
Being accepted into the SDFL for the 24/25 season at the league AGM just last week aligns perfectly with our PTBFCs long-term strategic goals and vision for the club.
How Are Both Teams Doing In The League.
Paignton Villa did not have the best start to the new season losing both of their two opening games. Firstly away against Ivybridge Town 2nd they were beaten by three goals to nil. Next up they were away against Bovey Tracey 2nd and lost that game by four goals to nil.
Their third game of the season was also away against Newton Abbot Spurs 3rd and they recorded their first win of the season winning the game by four goals to three.
Since then they have beaten Brixham AFC 2nd away by six goals to one and Brixham Town 1st by five goals to two. Villa came so close last weekend to becoming the first team this season to beat the True Blues. Xander Navridge put Villa in front and the points looked as if they were heading Villa’s way. But the Blues were awarded a penalty in the 92nd of the match which was converted by William Stringer.
The Blues opening fixture was away against the Windmill FC which they won by five goals to one. Next up at home against Buckland Athletic 2nd they also won by five goals to one. Their next three games were all away, first beating Brixham AFC 2nd by two goals to one, a one all draw against Newton Spurs 3rd and a five goals to one win against Watts Blake Bearne 1st.
Villa will come into this game feeling they should have claimed all three points last Saturday. Can they pull off another good performance against the Blues and progress into the next round?
The Blues are not the top of the table for nothing; they will see last weekends result as a slight blip and will feel confident it will be their name in the hat and not Villa’s. May the best team win.
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Match Report.
It is not often you get to cover a match in front of the king of your country. Dear Charles was there in his Scottish kilt proudly wearing the True Blue colours.
I have covered many Plymouth based clubs in the past and I have to say the True Blues are not only the best one football wise, they are also the friendliest club you will ever have the pressure of meeting.
A much younger Villa team than I have seen in the past, but one with plenty of talent in it and one that shows great promise for the future success for the Villa first team. But today the True Blues showed why they are the best Plymouth club at this level, they were in control for most of the game and their victory never really looked in doubt. The Villa lads did make a game of it and battled to the end, but unlike last weekend, the Blues were just the better side on the day.
The referee got the game underway and Villa started well and enjoyed some early possession of the ball. The first shot at goal was from the Blues Lewis Young who took his shot from the edge of the Villa box but his effort went straight into the arms of Jack Grant who was in goal for Villa.
The Blues won a free kick out on the left hand side that was fired into the Villa box. The ball eventually fell to Lee Phillips who got a shot away that was blocked on route to the goal. The Villa keeper rolled the ball out to Kobi Bailey who was just inside the box, Kobi had the ball robbed off his tools but thankfully for him the keeper was quick off his line and got to the ball before a Blues player.
Villa were doing well winning the ball but were then a bit guilty of giving the ball back to the blues a bit to easily. The Blues Lewis Young went on a neat run along the edge of the Villa box and got a shot away that went wide of the right hand post. The Blues then came close to taking the lead after they won a corner that ended up being headed against the crossbar.
The Blues were slowly getting on top of the game and at this stage were looking the more likely of the two sides to score the first goal of the match. Villa did win a free kick out on the left hand side that was fired high into the Blues box. The ball was just a bit to high for Tom Evens who did get his head on the ball but was unable to generate enough power to trouble the Blues keeper who was able to catch the ball with ease.
The Blues thought they had taken the lead when Chris Harvey was played into the Villa box and slotted the ball past the keeper, but the linesman raised his flag for offside. Chris was then booked, the Villa keeper was advancing to the edge of his box and Chris caught him from behind as he tried to go past him, It looked more accidental to me but the referee saw otherwise.
The Blues Lewis Young got another shot away from just out side the Villa box that forced Jack Grant into making a good low diving save to prevent what would have been a certain goal. Villas Ayrton Sldebottom then found his name going into the referee’s notebook for pulling back a Blues player.
The Blues Chris Harvey was once again played into the left hand side of the Villa box and again his shot went wide of the right hand post. Then aother gear ball was played into the Villa box and Lee Phillips just needed to get control of the ball tom put his side in front, but he failed to do so.
The came the first talking part of the game as the Blues last man Mikey Story hacked down a Villa player on the edge of the Blues box. The Villa bench were screaming for a red card and while the referee awarded a free kick to Villa he did not even show a yellow card. Charlie Thomas took the free kick and his shot hit the base of the left hand post, the ball came back to Tom Evans who fired his shot wide of the target.
Lewis Young was in the Villa box again and got a shot away that Jack Grant did well to push over his crossbar for a Blues corner. The Blues then took the lead when a free kick was fired high into the Villa box, two Villa players jumped for the ball and came off one of then and over the goal line.
Villas Dan Petty was played into the Blues box but was crowded out and failed to get a shot away. Up the other end Chris Harvey was inside the left hand side of the Villa box again and shot across the keeper but his effort was defected behind for a corner.
From the resulting corner the ball ended up in the back of the Villa net, but the referee ruled the goal out for a handball before the ball crossed the line. Then out of the Blue Villa were back on level terms. A loose ball found Tom Evans who looked as surprised as everyone the ball was at his feet, he raced inside the Blues box and fired the ball home.
But just before the break the Blues retook the lead after a shot from Chris Harvey hit the post and came back into the path of Connor Bryne who blasted the b all home with some power. That was it for the first half, the Villa boys made the long walk back to the dressing rooms and the Blues stayed out on the pitch.
The second half got underway and the blues Lee Phillips took a shot from the edge of the Villa box that lacked enough power to trouble the keeper. Some great work by the Blues Lewis Young inside the Villa box resulted in a good shot that was pushed against the right hand post by the keeper.
The Blues Mikey Story was in on goal but Will Plumb did ever so well to get the ball off him and get it behind for a corner. Then Lee Phillips really should have put his side even further in front when a low ball was played across the Villa box close in. With the keeper stranded at the other end of the goal and just one defender to get the ball passed, he somehow hit the ball over the crossbar.
The Villa defence were now under a great deal of pressure as the Blues won corner after corner. But the Blues third goal of the match soon followed, once again the Villa keeper made a good save but the ball was loose and Lewis Young was able to tap the ball into an almost empty net.
Villa then had what was a rare second half chance to reduce the lead, Seb Knight was in by the left hand post but Liam Hooks made a good save low down. There was then a big shout for a Blues penalty when Lee Phillips looked to have been brought down in the Villa box, but nothing was given.
Villa did win a free kick out on the left hand side that was wasted, there were players waiting in the Blues box to get on the end of it but the ball was blasted high and wide and behind for a goal kick. Villa’s Ashlie Salmon did get a good shot way from the edge of the Blues box that was defected behind for a corner.
The Blues Ray Spear was booked for a hand ball as Villa were working hard to try and get back into the game. Chris Harvey burst into the right hand side of the Villa box but the angle got a bit tight and his effort went straight into the arms of the keeper.
Villa did come close to getting a goal back after winning a corner, the ball was unable to be cleared and there was a bit of a goal mouth scramble but no Villa player could force the ball over the line.
The referee looked at his watch and blew up for fulltime, the Blues were worthy winners and can not look forward to the next round of the cup. The young Villa side can hold their heads in pride, they gave their all but today faced the best team in division one. I am sure there will be plenty of winnable games for then this season, but they do face another big test next weekend against Plymouth Phoenix.
For me a very enjoyable game to cover, always nice to see old friends from Paignton Villa and so nice to make new friends from the mighty Plymouth True Blues.
