Post by Dave on May 2, 2015 16:52:46 GMT
South Devon League Division Three
Upton Athletic 2nds V Roselands
Saturday 2nd May 2015 Kick-Off 2.30pm
Venue Paignton Community College 3G Pitch
Match Referee Dave Howells
Final Score Upton Athletic 2nds 1 Roselands 17
After having to play last night in a league cup final that they won, I half expected Roseland’s to struggle in this game. Six players who played in that cup final were missing; meaning club manager Simon Walker had to name himself in the starting eleven. Yes he has done it all before and has got the cups and medals to prove it, but what a great player he still is. Good players make the game look so easy with quick feet and a picture in their head of everything around them going on. Its no wonder Roseland’s are such a good football side to watch as they pass and move the ball around with such accuracy and pace.
Two cups to their name this season already and can they add a league title to this wonderful season for them? Before today’s game they were nine points behind leaders Watcombe 2nds, the team they beat in the league cup last night, but they did have three games in hand. Watcombe did have a far superior goal difference, well not anymore they don’t.
With so many players missing Simon Walker felt this was a game that might prove hard to win, but he sent out the most attacking team he could and it sure paid off for him. I did expect a bit more from the Upton side to be honest, but credit has to be given to the passing of the Roseland players and the movement up front. Ben Evans in goal for Upton might have had to pick the ball out of the back of his net seventeen times, but without all the great saves he did make, Roseland’s might have scored thirty goals, such was their domination all over the pitch.
Right from the off Roseland’s went on the attack and won a corner that saw the ball headed against the crossbar. Just after this danger man Max Prestwood headed the ball over the ball close in.
But Roseland’s did not have to wait too much longer to take the lead, the ball was played into the Upton box and coolly fired home by Marc Hagland. Roseland’s were creating chance after chance and it was not a surprise when they scored again. This time a good finish by their number 10 Luke Steward. (well I think it was him)
From a corner taken out on the left Luke Steward headed home his second goal of the match and Roseland’s third. Soon it was four nil and a great threaded through ball played in Max Prestwood who placed his low shot into the corner of the goal.
Roseland’s then gifted Upton a goal when their number five Tom Dunlop who had a good game took too much time to deal with what should have been a simple clearance. He had the ball robbed off him and it was then played through to Jordan Milton who took his chance well.
Every time the ball went forward into the Upton half, Roseland’s looked like scoring, soon it was five one then six one and I was getting worried I was going to run out of paper, but the goals kept going in and come halftime Roseland’s were winning by eight goals to one.
The second half got underway and just for a while it looked like Roseland’s had taken their foot off the gas, well that was until they won a penalty that was fired home by that man Max Prestwood. He was hungry to add even more goals to his tally and that is something he did.
Even the manager Simon Walker tried to get onto the score sheet and came so close with a good 25 yard shot that was only just pushed around the post by Ben Evans. Max Prestwood made it ten goals to one from another good low ball played into the Upton box.
Max Prestwood then turned provider playing in an inch perfect ball from the right hand side for Marc Hagland to fire home. Max Prestwood then got goal number twelve an easy tap in from a ball played in from the left.
Goal thirteen was the best goal of the match, a great strike from outside the area by Luke Steward. Super sub Gary Aldous got goal number fourteen after he was played into the box by a wonder pass from Craig Corcoran.
After failing to clear the ball out of their area Marc Hagland was able to get goal number fifteen, number sixteen was another goal for Max Prestwood and the very last goal was fired home by Luke Steward.
There you have not the result anyone would have expected, but a result that Roseland’s fully deserved. They are far too good for division three and they are a club on the up and up and I’m sure it won’t be too many seasons away before they are playing in the top division of the South Devon League.
Full list of goalscorers for Roseland's were Max Prestwood (9), Marc Hagland (5), Luke Steward (2) and Gary Aldous coming off the bench for a single.
