Post by Dave on Aug 29, 2015 7:57:40 GMT
Southwest Peninsula League Premier Division
Stoke Gabriel AFC Vs Launceston AFC
Saturday 29th August 2015…….Kick-Off 3pm
Venue…….G.J. Churchward Memorial Ground
Referee Sam Littlefair Referee Assistants Chris Palmer & Tamasin Elliot-Nicholls
Saturday 29th August 2015…….Kick-Off 3pm
Venue…….G.J. Churchward Memorial Ground
Referee Sam Littlefair Referee Assistants Chris Palmer & Tamasin Elliot-Nicholls
Final Score Stoke Gabriel 1 Launceston 1
After their disastrous start last season in their very first season in the SWPL Premier Division, Stoke were hoping for a much better start in this their second season at this level. . Stoke had played the first four games of the season all away and only have the single point to show for all their efforts. Defeats at Cullompton Rangers (2-1) and Newquay (2-1) were followed by a 2-2 draw at Witheridge, then they lost 2-1 at Saltash United.
Tim Porter feels his team has played well enough in most of those games to have won them, but he said "We have conceded two goals in every game so far and five of them have been from free headers. Collectively that isn't good enough and despite not having the height or dominating presence in our back line I expect us to do so much better.
If you do not have the height or dominating presence in your back line, you are going to concede goals from corners, set pieces and high balls into your box, it’s not rocket science but something that is fixable. Tim Porter knows what needs to be done to sort out Stokes defensive frailties and that is something I’m sure has been worked on in training sessions.
The next four games for Stoke are all at home and a chance to get their first win of the season starting with Launceston today. I covered this home fixture at the start of last season just after Gary Fisher (Stoke ex manager) left the club taking three players with him. The game ended in a one all draw with Launceston being the slightly better team on the day.
Considering the circumstances Stoke found themselves under, a draw was a good result on the day and slowly but surely, Tim Porter turned things around for the good at Stoke Gabriel and he will do again this season.
Before today’s game Stoke were one off the bottom of the table, with just their single point with St.Blazey at the very bottom having no points at all but they have played one game less than Stoke to date this season. Even more reason Stoke needed to win today if they were not going to end up propping up all the rest at the end of today’s play.
Launceston had played two more games than Stoke, winning two of them drawing three and losing one and were sitting in forth place in the table on nine points, scoring eight goals but also conceding the same amount. Stoke had scored five league goals, but conceded eight.
It was good to be back watching Stoke Gabriel in action this afternoon and what a cracking entertaining game it was. Ok a Stoke win would have been nice for their first home game of the season, but with a good number of key players missing from the line-up, this was a good result against a lively Launceston side.
That lady who always takes a pound off me for the fifty fifty draw has still yet to bring me my winnings, come on I have to win one day don’t I? Thanks to Tom for all his help again today and Tom has designed a brand new programme for the club that I will put up in the programmes room on here over the weekend.
There was a minutes silence observed before the kick-off that was well respected for the tragic aeroplane crash last Saturday in which two young footballers lost their lives along with at least nine other people.
The game got off to a frantic start with both teams keen in he tackle and looking to play a good passing game. For the first ten minutes there was nothing to separate the two sides but that changed in the eleventh minute.
Launceston broke down the left hand side of the pitch and a low cross was fired into the Stoke box. Every single person in the ground were convinced Launceston’s number eleven Sam Davey was well off side, except the linesman who might not have been right up with the play. Stokes keeper Nathan Murphy was standing on his post with his hand raised as Sam Davey fired the ball into the empty net. Despite all the appeals the goal stood and Stoke were maybe unfairly behind.
How would Stoke react to going behind so early in the game? Well we only had to wait just one more minute to find out. Stoke won a free kick some thirty yards from goal and the ball was hit high to the left hand side of the Launceston box. Stokes Ryan O’Callaghan rose the highest to head the ball downwards towards the penalty spot and Dan Kingscote fired the ball into the back of the net.
Stoke who for most of the game were well in control in defence, almost gave a goal away when one of their front players had come back to help his defence and gave the ball away cheaply to Sam Davey. Sam made a good run into the box and hit a good shot, but Nathan Murphy made a fantastic full length save to deny him his second goal of the match.
Stoke came so close to taking the lead when their goal scorer Dan Kingscote hit a wonder shot from the edge of the area that crashed onto the crossbar and came back into play.
But it was Launceston who should have gone in at halftime wining the match after that man again Sam Davey was played into the Stoke box with just Nathan Murphy to beat. Not sure how he missed what looked a sitter, but after hitting the ball he had to stand and watch it go over the right hand side of the crossbar.
That was it for the first half and it was Launceston who started the second half better, but thanks to some great last ditch tacking by the Stoke defence, were unable to create very much as far as goal scoring opportunities were concerned.
Early in this half Sam Davey was played in again this time on the right hand side of the box, but his shot sailed high over he crossbar. Stoke rode the early Launceston pressure and starting getting on top themselves.
Dave Worthington played a great ball into the Launceston box from the right hand side of the pitch and Dan Kingscote hit another fine shot that looked like it was going in but ended up shaving the outside of the right hand post.
Stokes Frazer Clark was very harshly booked in my opinion and Ryan O’Callaghan soon followed him into the referee’s notebook. This was not a dirty game but there were plenty of strong tackles from both sets of players.
Near the end Launceston thought they might have been awarded a penalty when Kian Armitage fell over the Stokes keepers legs, the referee saw nothing wrong and the lose ball ran to Will Matthews who blasted it high over the bar.
The referee blew up for the end of the game and while either side could have pinched all the three points on offer, a draw was a fair enough result. Stoke are home again on Bank Holiday Monday so pop along if you can. they are also home again next Saturday.
One of the Launceston people did have a moan about the length of the grass on the pitch after the game had finished. While I have seen grass cut much shorter, my own view is it was not overly long and looked far better than any other pitch I have seen so far this season.
Stoke will be fine this season, the first win they are looking for is not far away and they will soon rise up the table to a much healthier position.
Tim Porter feels his team has played well enough in most of those games to have won them, but he said "We have conceded two goals in every game so far and five of them have been from free headers. Collectively that isn't good enough and despite not having the height or dominating presence in our back line I expect us to do so much better.
If you do not have the height or dominating presence in your back line, you are going to concede goals from corners, set pieces and high balls into your box, it’s not rocket science but something that is fixable. Tim Porter knows what needs to be done to sort out Stokes defensive frailties and that is something I’m sure has been worked on in training sessions.
The next four games for Stoke are all at home and a chance to get their first win of the season starting with Launceston today. I covered this home fixture at the start of last season just after Gary Fisher (Stoke ex manager) left the club taking three players with him. The game ended in a one all draw with Launceston being the slightly better team on the day.
Considering the circumstances Stoke found themselves under, a draw was a good result on the day and slowly but surely, Tim Porter turned things around for the good at Stoke Gabriel and he will do again this season.
Before today’s game Stoke were one off the bottom of the table, with just their single point with St.Blazey at the very bottom having no points at all but they have played one game less than Stoke to date this season. Even more reason Stoke needed to win today if they were not going to end up propping up all the rest at the end of today’s play.
Launceston had played two more games than Stoke, winning two of them drawing three and losing one and were sitting in forth place in the table on nine points, scoring eight goals but also conceding the same amount. Stoke had scored five league goals, but conceded eight.
It was good to be back watching Stoke Gabriel in action this afternoon and what a cracking entertaining game it was. Ok a Stoke win would have been nice for their first home game of the season, but with a good number of key players missing from the line-up, this was a good result against a lively Launceston side.
That lady who always takes a pound off me for the fifty fifty draw has still yet to bring me my winnings, come on I have to win one day don’t I? Thanks to Tom for all his help again today and Tom has designed a brand new programme for the club that I will put up in the programmes room on here over the weekend.
There was a minutes silence observed before the kick-off that was well respected for the tragic aeroplane crash last Saturday in which two young footballers lost their lives along with at least nine other people.
The game got off to a frantic start with both teams keen in he tackle and looking to play a good passing game. For the first ten minutes there was nothing to separate the two sides but that changed in the eleventh minute.
Launceston broke down the left hand side of the pitch and a low cross was fired into the Stoke box. Every single person in the ground were convinced Launceston’s number eleven Sam Davey was well off side, except the linesman who might not have been right up with the play. Stokes keeper Nathan Murphy was standing on his post with his hand raised as Sam Davey fired the ball into the empty net. Despite all the appeals the goal stood and Stoke were maybe unfairly behind.
How would Stoke react to going behind so early in the game? Well we only had to wait just one more minute to find out. Stoke won a free kick some thirty yards from goal and the ball was hit high to the left hand side of the Launceston box. Stokes Ryan O’Callaghan rose the highest to head the ball downwards towards the penalty spot and Dan Kingscote fired the ball into the back of the net.
Stoke who for most of the game were well in control in defence, almost gave a goal away when one of their front players had come back to help his defence and gave the ball away cheaply to Sam Davey. Sam made a good run into the box and hit a good shot, but Nathan Murphy made a fantastic full length save to deny him his second goal of the match.
Stoke came so close to taking the lead when their goal scorer Dan Kingscote hit a wonder shot from the edge of the area that crashed onto the crossbar and came back into play.
But it was Launceston who should have gone in at halftime wining the match after that man again Sam Davey was played into the Stoke box with just Nathan Murphy to beat. Not sure how he missed what looked a sitter, but after hitting the ball he had to stand and watch it go over the right hand side of the crossbar.
That was it for the first half and it was Launceston who started the second half better, but thanks to some great last ditch tacking by the Stoke defence, were unable to create very much as far as goal scoring opportunities were concerned.
Early in this half Sam Davey was played in again this time on the right hand side of the box, but his shot sailed high over he crossbar. Stoke rode the early Launceston pressure and starting getting on top themselves.
Dave Worthington played a great ball into the Launceston box from the right hand side of the pitch and Dan Kingscote hit another fine shot that looked like it was going in but ended up shaving the outside of the right hand post.
Stokes Frazer Clark was very harshly booked in my opinion and Ryan O’Callaghan soon followed him into the referee’s notebook. This was not a dirty game but there were plenty of strong tackles from both sets of players.
Near the end Launceston thought they might have been awarded a penalty when Kian Armitage fell over the Stokes keepers legs, the referee saw nothing wrong and the lose ball ran to Will Matthews who blasted it high over the bar.
The referee blew up for the end of the game and while either side could have pinched all the three points on offer, a draw was a fair enough result. Stoke are home again on Bank Holiday Monday so pop along if you can. they are also home again next Saturday.
One of the Launceston people did have a moan about the length of the grass on the pitch after the game had finished. While I have seen grass cut much shorter, my own view is it was not overly long and looked far better than any other pitch I have seen so far this season.
Stoke will be fine this season, the first win they are looking for is not far away and they will soon rise up the table to a much healthier position.
