WBB v Kingsteignton 25th May 2013

[Dave]

Premier Division South Devon League

WBB v Kingsteignton 25th May 2013

Venue Abrook Park

Match Officials:
Steve Bygrave

Match report and photos to follow later

This has to be the must watch match today on the final day of the SDFL calendar and one I’m so looking forward to. Can WBB win and gain automatic promotion to the Peninsula League? As no reserves teams can enter the Peninsula League, Buckland Athletic 2nds who are top of the table on 64 points with one more game to play, can’t go up.

Until a week ago it looked impossible for Brixham to go up as they would have needed to finish in third place, but they won their last two games as both WBB and Loddiswell lost games but they have played their final game. Loddiswell or WBB then needed to win their last game to deny them promotion. Loddiswell played their final at Stoke Gabriel Reserves and lost. So it now all comes down to this game and if WBB win they will be going up, if they lose or only manage a draw, Brixham will hold onto that third spot.





League Table
POS P W D L F A GD PTS
1 Buckland Athletic 2nd
25 21 1 3 108 21 87 64
2 Kingskerswell & Chelston
25 16 5 4 60 39 21 53
3 Brixham AFC
26 15 3 8 65 40 25 48
4 Watts Blake & Bearne
25 13 7 5 60 41 19 46
5 Loddiswell Athletic
26 13 6 7 70 46 24 45
6 Stoke Gabriel 2nd
26 13 2 11 55 46 9 41
7 Upton Athletic
26 11 6 9 51 44 7 39
8 Staverton & Landscove
26 9 3 14 40 57 -17 30
9 Kingsteignton Athletic
25 8 3 14 56 65 -9 27
10 Galmpton United 2nd
25 8 5 12 30 53 -23 26 *
11 Ipplepen Athletic
25 8 2 15 50 83 -33 26
12 Newton Abbot Spurs 2nd
26 7 4 15 46 65 -19 25
13 Abbotskerswell
26 7 3 16 40 89 -49 24
14 Teignmouth 2nd
26 3 4 19 50 92 -42 13

[Dave]

Its been a very long time since I have been to Abrook Park and to be honest nothing has really change at all, but I seem to remember there were two pitches in use the last time I was there. The pitch is nice and flat and the only thing I thought was the grass was a bit too long but looked nice with all the daisies in flower over most of it. I do believe this was the last game to be played on this pitch, but more of that at the end of this report. You only need to look behind one of the goals to know you are in a clay mining area.

I do plan to write down my thoughts on the ever improving standard of football in the SDL and ask what the reasons might be. But one thing I will say now is that the whole approach to the games seemed to have changed so much and has to be playing a part. Gone are the days when the lads would stroll out onto the pitch after putting out their fags ten minutes or so before kick-off. I got to the ground some 45 minutes before kick-off and both sets of players were warming up and doing the sort of things you would normally expect to see professional sides doing.

The big question before the start of the match was would WBB break Brixham hearts and win the game to claim that vital third stop in the table. Well I will tell you right now that is what they did, but they sure made hard work of it and on the balance of play during the first half, were lucky to go in at halftime one nil up.

The first really good chance of the match fell to Kingsteignton’s number eleven, a long ball was played up to him and he took the ball down well and with just the keeper to beat looked certain to score, but he put his shot just wide of the left hand post.

The miss was to cost dearly as WBB went up the other end and took the lead, some good work out wide on the left resulted in an inch perfect ball being played into WBB’s number nine who could not really miss and didn’t. To be honest it was the only real chance that WBB created in the first half and if the Kingsteignton lads had taken a number of good chances they created, they could have gone in at half time three or four goals up.

Kingsteignton’s number fourteen hit a great shot from all of thirty yards that the WBB keeper just got his hands to and managed to push the ball over the bar for a corner. When the ball came in from the corner it found its way in the end just outside the box where number eleven for Kingsteignton was standing and he hit a fine shot that skinned the top of the cross bar on its way over for a goal kick.

WBB’s goal scorer number nine then decided to start getting over physical with the Kingsteignton keeper and in the end got a much deserved booking, he was talked to again by the ref not long after this for another silly challenge on a Kingsteignton player and was looking very likely to be sent off.

Kingsteignton continued to mount a number of attacks to try and get a goal back and their number eleven worked hard to win the ball close to the corner flag and then put in a superb ball to number eight who was rushing into the box, but the shot ended up rather tame and gave the keeper no problems in making what turned out to be an easy save in the end.

So the first half ended with WBB one goal in the lead and the decision was taken to leave their number nine back in the dressing room for the second half, I expect the manager was just not prepared to risk his side going down to ten men in such and important match.

WBB soon took a two goal lead and it was a quality finish from their number eleven (have I seen him playing for Buckland in the past?) The Kingsteignton defense had pushed right up to the halfway line and were caught out with a long high ball played over their heads. It reached number eleven who found himself almost alone in the Kingsteignton half, he approached the box slightly on the left hand side of it and as the keeper started to come out to try and close the angle down, he cleverly chipped him from outside the box.

No sooner had he scored up the other end the ref spotted a handball in the box and pointed to the spot, I could not quite see who took the spot kick but I think it was Kingsteignton’s number fiveteen who made no mistake and got his side back in the game. Straight from the kick –off what would have been the goal of the match had it gone in happened, the ball was rolled off the centre spot and then hit first time goal ward. The keeper either misjudged the flight of the ball or was simply standing and admiring the effort as he did not move and the ball hit the crossbar and stayed out.

Kingsteignton’s number seven ended up a touch to greedy when after another fine run down the right hand side of the pitch, hit a tame shot from a tight angle when he had a player spare in the box that might well have scored. The game looked all over when WBB went and got their third goal of the match.

Once again the Kingsteignton defense found themselves very high up the pitch and when the ball was once again played in behind them, this time there were two WBB players on their own in the Kingsteignton half. I was not to sure if they had beat the offside trap, but the flag stayed down and WBB’s number seven ran into the box and buried the ball low past the keeper into the left hand corner of the goal.

Game over? Not on your Nelly, WBB’s number eight gave away a silly and unnecessary free kick that resulted in the ball being fired into the box and finding its way into the net. Kingsteignton’s number eleven then hit a wonderful shot from all of thirty yards out that the WBB keeper did well to save at his near post.

Could the Kingsteignton lads get another goal that would then break the hearts of the WBB players? Well they did and to me it looked like a cross come shot from the number eight out on the left hand side of the pitch, I’m not sure but I do not think it got another touch and just lopped over the stranded WBB keeper.


Very soon WBB took the lead again and it came about after they won a throw-in close to the corner flag on the left hand side of the pitch. The ball found its way into the box but was only half cleared to WBB’s number five just out side the box. He hit a firm and low shot into the far left hand corner of the goal. Kingsteignton were not about to give up and came so close a number of times to scoring another goal themselves. With the ball bouncing around in a very crowded WBB box, one of the players managed to lift the ball over the crossbar from just a few yards out. That was the chance that was not taken that might just have seen Brixham going up instead of WBB.

The ref blew up and I was a bit surprised to see no real celebrations from the WBB players, still not to worry the 50+ crowd were treated to a fine game of football and a fitting game to end the season with.

I over heard someone saying the pitch was earmark to be used by the local school next season and I also heard him say the new ground was nearly ready etc and would be in use next September and you could get to it though the car park, so I went in search of it. It looks to me as if there might be two or three pitches on the new site with the main one being at the far right hand edge.

The first thing to say was how flat the whole surface was and the grass looked real quality. Up the right hand end the dugouts have been built and its going to be a wonderful ground for sure. I could not help thinking back to a few months ago when I went and took my latest look at the new training pitch for Torquay United at Seale Hayne. Who ever created the mess out there would do well to go and take a look how new pitches should be created.

New Ground

[bucklandgull]

Hi Dave

you were correct wbb number 11 is Matt Barkwell and he has played for Buckland about 4- 5 years ago.

[Dave]

May 28, 2013 15:13:13 GMT bucklandgull said:

Hi Dave

you were correct wbb number 11 is Matt Barkwell and he has played for Buckland about 4- 5 years ago.

hi and welcome to the site and thanks for confirming that imformation as I just knew I had seen him play before. I got your other message and can tell yot I stood very close to where the players came onto the pitch. Sorry I missed you but not to worry as you will see me many times at Homers Heath next season. just spent over an hour writing a post about the SDL on the up and lost it ??