Post by Dave on Oct 30, 2024 19:43:42 GMT
The Brixham Derby
Match Referee Conor Morgan
Final Score Brixham AFC 2nd 3 Brixham Town 1st 3
Match Preview
The very last Brixham derby took place on the 20th Dec 2014, a South Devon second division league fixture between Brixham AFC 3rd V Brixham Town. Brixham AFC 3rd won that game by two goals to nil. As we know Brixham United and Brixham Villa merged in 2012, but before they did Brixham Town and Brixham Villa often faced each other in league matches.
Brixham AFC no longer run a third team and it is interesting to see how many connections Brixham AFC have with Brixham Town. Ben O’Sullivan and Shaun Langdon, (now at Brixham Town) managed Brixham AFC 3rd team in the 2019/20 season before reforming Brixham Town.Shaun managed/coached youth and senior AFC teams.Ben played for both Brixham United and Villa, both his sons played their youth football for Brixham AFC.Bens dad Kev O’Sullivan managed and played for both Brixham United and Brixham Villa.
Two of Ben’s brothers played for Brixham Town during the 90’s.Kev’s manager at Brixham United was a family member of Brixham AFC 2nd current manager Dean Hopper. (Dad or uncle…not sure which). Past Brixham Town teams included the famous team managed by Steve Peplow which included Mark Loram and Mark Gennard.The two clubs have never faced each other in the league.
A number of players that will play in today’s game have played for both teams at some point. One such player Mark Griffiths will finally hang up his boots at the end of this season, his 31st in senior football aged 47. Mark was Brixham Towns top scorer last season. Mark played for Brixham United and Brixham AFC. He is a true legend of local football.
Previous clubs include 1st club when he was 16 years old Churston Ferrers (managed by Kev O’Sullivan), STC-Nortel. Dartington, Brixham united, Bideford, Newton Abbot, Dawlish, Galmpton, Brixham AFC and Brixham town who will be managed by Ben O’Sullivan today.
The Legend Mark Griffiths
While Mark will be ending his playing days another young player will be making his debut today in the Brixham AFC 2nd team. A young man I have been following ever since he first pulled on a pair of gloves at a very young age. He is not only a very good goalkeeper but has also represented England in a foot golf completion. His dad will be very well known to most of you so let’s wish Callum Yeates all the best on his football journey.
The Early Beginning
Brixham Town folded in 2016 but was reformed by Shaun Langdon in the 2020/21 season playing at Furzeham Green. In February 2020 the club turned a horse field into a football pitch now called JC Park. Named after local football player/coach John Charles who is the president of AFC.
Town have won league cups, reached a Devon County Cup final and been promoted from division 3 to 1.
Players remaining from that first season and in contention to start on Saturday are Cam Atkinson, Macca Dallow, Damien Sabota, Scott Walker and Lewis Booth. Brendon Boddy who played until recently remains as part of the coaching/management team. I have never met a more passionate chairman than Shaun Langdon, he works so hard to better his club and should be very proud of all he has achieved so far.
The two clubs have played against each other three times in the Trawler Cup, the first one taking place on the 6th August 2022, Mark Griffiths was the Brixham AFC 2nd captain that day. Town won the game after a penalty shootout, but it was Brixham AFC 2nd who ran out the winners the following season and won it again this season.
Trawler Cup Action
How Are Both Clubs Doing
On the 11th February 2023 I covered a home Buckfastleigh game against Brixham AFC 2nd. I billed that game the top of the table clash as it was first versus second in the league table. At the end of that season the Brixham AFC 2nd team manager left the club and so did a lot of the players. Four joined Brixham Town, some went to Newton Spurs and some to Dartmouth.
The under 16 manager stepped in to take over the 2nd team and had to play a good number of very young players, the end result a bottom of the table finish and dropping down from the Premier League to Division One.
Sadly it has also been a poor start this season for Brixham AFC 2nd and they are bottom of the table on one point from the seven league games they have played so far. After being thumped by eleven goals to one in their opening game against Plymouth Phoenix 1st, things did not improve in their second game. They faced Chudleigh Athletic away and were beaten by thirteen goals to three.
They did very well to come away from Long Lane with a point against Watcombe Wanderers 1st and seem to have got stronger in defence and not losing by so many goals recently.
While Brixham Town did not finish in a promotion spot last season they had hoped the league would move them up to the Premier League for this season. That did not happen and with the two top former Plymouth & District teams playing in division one this season it might be a big ask this season as well.
Town are currently in seventh place in the league table on eight points from six games, winning two, drawing two and losing two. Not where they were hoping to be, but there is still so much of this season left. Town suffered their biggest defeat since reforming last weekend at home against the Mighty Plymouth True Blues. Losing the game by eight goals to one.
Town will see today’s game as an opportunity to get back to wining ways, much might depend of the Brixham AFC 2nd team they face.
May the best team win
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Match Report.
It may well have been a very dull Saturday afternoon weather wise, but this game was a true derby game that had everything. Plenty of goals, some real battling performances, a red card, penalty, two sin bins and plenty of talking points.
Town may well have left Wall Park thinking they should have won the game as they were far the better team in the first half of the match. But the Brixham AFC boys were much better in the second half and in my opinion deserved the point they won.
Before the start of the match Mark Griffiths was welcomed onto the pitch with a guard of honour as it was thought this would be the last time he played on the Wall Park pitch. After his first half performance today I can see Brixham Town doing all they can to try and get at least one more season out of him.
The match referee got the game underway and Town made the slightly better start. AFC won the first corner of the match that was well headed out of the danger area by a Town defender. It was Town who had the first attempt on goal when Babs Colley burst into the AFC box on the right hand side, but he fired his effort over the crossbar.
AFC then won their second corner that was played short before being fired into the AFC box, but the ball sailed right into Luke Adams arms who was in goal for Town. Mark Griffiths then sent in a great ball into the AFC box from the right hand side that went across the goal towards the back post. Hugo Griffiths was inches away from getting on the end of it and putting Town in front.
Town were looking the most likely to score the first goal in the match, Babs Colley hit a power shot from just out side the box that Callum Yates in goal for AFC did so well to get two hands on the ball and get the ball behind for a corner.
The resulting corner was headed behind for a second Town corner which came to nothing. The ball fell kindly for Towns Charlie Joyce just out the AFC box, but his effort lacked any real power and was an easy catch for the AFC keeper. Town then played a great passing move with the final ball being played through to Hugo Griffiths who would have been clean in on goal with a one on one with the keeper, but the linesman’s flag went up for offside.
Hugo then got a shot away from the edge of the AFC box that sailed high over the crossbar. Town then took the lead after they had won a corner. The ball went close to the left hand post and Mark Griffiths was right on top of the AFC keeper who was close to his post. My sequence of images shows the keeper almost being forced behind his goal line and as the ball dropped to the ground Mark Griffiths performed a cheeky back heel and the ball went into the net.
Town then won a free kick out of the left hand side, Mark Griffiths was close in on the AFC keeper and got a head on the ball but it went behind for a goal kick. Up the other end Callum Glew battled hard to retain the ball and got a good shot away on goal just inside the left hand side of the Town box that the keeper did well to save low down.
Town then played Hugo Griffiths into the AFC box who got a shot away that was well held by Callum Yeates. AFC won another corner that was fired high into the Town box, Daniel Gillard rose well and got a good head on the ball but his effort went wide of the right hand post.
Mark Griffiths burst into the left hand side of the AFC box and from a tight angle got a shot away that the keeper did well to get a hand on it and keep the score at one nil to Town. But he could nothing about what happened next, Town had the ball out of the left hand side close to the touch line but could not find a way to fire it into the AFC box. The ball was played into the midfield and from at least 25 yards out Macca Dallow ran onto it and hit a first time power driver that flew into the roof of the net. One of those goals you see played over and over again on the TV.
Macca then fancied his chances again from some way out, but this time his effort flew wide of the left hand post. The ball was then fired into the AFC box again and mark Griffiths headed the ball at goal and Callum Yeates pulled off another fine one handed save, the ball ended up behind for a Town corner.
While getting his head on that ball Mark had made contact with a AFC defender who went down holding his head. A Town player took the ball to the corner flag and the trainer was called onto the treat the AFC player. But while still on the pitch the referee just decided to blow up for halftime.
Town were good for their halftime lead and could have gone in even further in front. The Town boys were quick to get back to the pitch after the halftime break and had to wait a good five minutes for the AFC lads to return from their dressing room.
The second half got underway and very soon the AFC linesman was having a work with the referee who then decided to go over and have a word in Bens ear in the dugout. Town they shot themselves in the foot when a back pass was played blindly into their own box. Callum Glew was still in the Town box and twisted and turned to get a shot away as he had two defenders between him and the goal line. In the mayhem the referee pointed to the spot and booked the Town keeper.
Callum took the kick himself and fired the ball into the back of the net, game on. It was soon two all when Daniel Gillard fired a shot from inside the Town box that hit a defender who was close to the right hand post. Then ball came back across the goal towards the left hand post where Callum Glew was standing and he slotted the ball home.
The lines man raised his flag for offside and the Town Players made sure the referee saw it, but the referee decided the goal was good and AFC were now back on level terms. Hugo Griffiths was unhappy with the decision and told the ref so and as a resulted ended up in the sin bin.
Towns Babs Colley went on a great run down the middle and was hacked down right on the edge of the AFC box. Jack Thompson took the free kick but sent the ball high over the crossbar.
AFC were laying well and Dalton Sanders got a good shot away from the edge of the town box but his effort went straight into the keepers arms. Town then took the lead again when a ball was played forward to the right hand side by Macca Dallow. The AFC keeper came rushing out of his line and then just back for the sin bin Hugo Griffiths was able to lift the ball over the advancing keeper into the back of the net. The goal was almost against the run of play.
AFC Callum Glew got another shot away that went straight into the keepers arms, Towns Ben Ford then kicked the ball away after conceding a foul and I think it must have been his second book and then sent off.
Callum Glew was in the Town box again and this time his shot was blocked away for a corner. Nothing came from the corner and the ball was fired up towards thee other end of the pitch. Mark Griffiths got on the ball and was hacked down by Luke Ducker who was shown the yellow card.
Down to ten men the last thing Town needed was to lose another player to the sin bin. They were winning by three goals to two and there was only eight minutes left to play. He thought he had been fouled and nothing was given by the match referee so he decided to have words with the referee who clearly did not like what was being said to him.
It was to prove very costly for ten as then next time the ball was in their box AFC scored, the ball was played across the goal and Dalton Sanders fired it home at the far post. Callum Glew then got yet another good shot away that bounced of the Town keeper’s chest; he was able to grab the ball at the second attempt.
AFC came so close to taking the lead for the fist time in the match they won a free kick. The ball was fired into the Town box Daniel Gillard got on the end of it but his hooked shot hit the crossbar with the keeper beaten.
But it was Town who then thought they had won the game very late in the game. They got the ball into the back of the net but up went the linesman flag. The shot may well have been going in but caught the knee of a Town player on route that was just offside and the goal was disallowed.
The match referee then blew up for the end of the match, Town will see it as two points dropped, AFC will see it as a well earned point.
Many thanks to both Ben and Neil Hocking for all their help with information for the match preview. Many thanks to both team managers for all your help with the team sheet. Also many thanks to all the players who said hello and made me feel so welcome today. A football day for me as it should be.
