SWPFL Div 1 East Liverton Utd V Exwick Villa 31st Oct 2015

[Dave]

Carlsberg Southwest Peninsula League Division One East

Liverton United v Exwick Villa

Saturday 31st October 2015 Kick-Off 2.15pm

Venue Halford

Match Referee......Andrew Thomson

Final Score Liverton United 2 Exwick Villa 3

My first visit to Halford home of Liverton United for a very long time, the last time I was there was to watch a cup game my son was playing in. I have covered a number of Liverton games in the past, but none this season so far. I covered the Bovey Tracey V Exwick Villa game earlier in the season, a game I enjoyed immensely.

Liverton United Football Club was formed in 1902 and played in the South Devon Football League for much of its history. In 2007–08, they were founding members of the South West Peninsula League Division One East, they won the league in 2010–11 and 2011–12, gaining promotion to the Premier Division for the 2012–13 season

After just one season in the Carlsberg South West Peninsula League Premier Division, Liverton United took the unprecedented step of stepping back down a division, as they feared they would be 'uncompetitive the following season. Sadly now back in the Division One East they have found it a bit of a struggle. At the end of the 2013/14 season, they finished in fifteen place one off the bottom. From the thirty league games they played they only amassed twenty five points winning just seven games all season and finishing with a massive minus seventy six goal difference.

Last season two extra teams were added to the Division One East and Liverton improved slightly on the previous season. They finished four places off the bottom and won ten of the thirty four league games they played, ending up with thirty four points and a minus thirty five goal difference.

Liverton have not had the best of starts this season either, they have won just two games of the eleven they have played so far. Before today’s game they were in seventeenth place in the table on eight points with a minus sixteen goal difference, Okehampton Argyle who have not won a single game this season keeping them off the bottom.

Liverton’s manager Justin Yeates feels his team's performances have been good this season, despite the lowly points tally. In their last outing they played St Martins away, a game many thought St Martins would win with ease. But the game ended up goalless and Liverton came away with a surprise point, a point that would have felt more like three.

Exwick Villa Football Club was formerly known as Exeter Civil Service FC that was founded in 1958, with the name change taking place in 2013. The Exeter Civil Service team joined the South West Peninsula League Division One East in the 2008/09 season and finished their very first season in the league in first place the next four seasons before their name change they finished in tenth, twelfth, thirteenth and finally eighth.

The newly named club enjoyed a great 2013/14 season finishing in forth place after winning seventeen of the thirty league games played, amassing fifty seven points with a plus thirty one goal difference. This was the season Stoke Gabriel ended up as champions with Teignmouth finishing in second place and Galmpton in third place.

Last season was not such a good one for Exwick Villa, they finished in sixteenth place three off the bottom after only winning ten of the thirty four league games they played. They amassed thirty three points with a minus twenty six goal difference.

Before today’s game Exwick Villa were in thirteenth place in the table with five wins from the eleven games played so far, on sixteen points with a minus seven goal difference. With Newton Abbot Spurs not playing today, a win for Exwick Villa would have seen them move one place further up the table with a number of games in hand on some of the other teams above them.


If Brixham were beaten away to Budleigh Salterton today, a Liverton win would have seen them move on place up the table closer to safety.



I arrived at the ground nice and early and was greeted by the Liverton manager Justin Yeates who kindly got me a cup of coffee. I had a good chat with Justin and its clear how passionate he is about the club and the plans he has to take it forward. It’s very much a job in progress and will take time, but I firmly believe the good times will come back to Halford under his leadership.

The sun did its very best to stay out this afternoon, but sadly for Liverton it did not end up shinning on them. This was a very winnable game for them but Exwick just seemed to want it that bit more, especially in the second half. When I watched Exwick earlier in the season they faded away in the second half, but they were not guilty of doing that today.

The game started off very evenly and neither team were able to get on top or create many goal scoring opportunities. The first effort on goal came from Livertons Ollie Booth who hit a shot from the right hand side just outside the area that went wide of the left hand post.

Exwick were winning a few corners and you just felt they were going to score from one of them which is exactly what they did. The corner kick was taken on the right hand side and as the ball entered the Liverton box, it was powerfully headed home by Lee Radford. I think Simon Primmer in goal for Liverton had his view blocked and was not able to react in time to make a save.

There were a few meaty tackles happening in the midfield and it no surprise when the referee decided to get his book out. Exwicks Matt Byrne was the first name into the book and from the resulting free kick Liverton got back onto level terms. The ball was fired high towards the back post where it was headed down and then fired home by Jamie Down.

Exwicks number three Brad Phillips soon joined his team mate in the referee’s book for a number of repeated fouls. Exwick were getting plenty of success hitting long balls into the right hand channel for Lee Radford to get onto, but The Liverton defence were at that point dealing with the threat well.

Liverton won a free kick on the right hand side of the Exwick box, from my angle I thought the foul was inside the box, but the referee was well placed to make the correct call. Liverton lined up a number of players at the back of the box waiting for the cross to come in. But from the free kick the ball hit the back of the net, is that what Ollie Booth was trying to do? I’m sure he will say that was the case, but what it did mean was his side had for the first time taken the lead in the match.

Livertons Curtis Booth was proving a handful in and around the Exwick box, his neat tight control on the ball and his ability to twist and turn finally made room for a good shot that only just went over the crossbar.

That was it for the first half and Justin Yeates must have been well pleased with his team’s first half performance, but could they keep it up in the second half? They had a great chance to add to their lead early in the half when Ollie Booth was played in on the right hand side. Not sure why the Exwick keeper Fred Tonkin ended up where he did, but Ollie just needed to chip the ball over him into the back of the net. He went for power and hit the ball so hard it was close to breaking the right hand post as it thumped against it and stayed out.

The game at this point was all action, but once again not a lot of good scoring opportunities were being created, Ollie Booth hit another shot that went wide, but from almost nothing the score was two all. Liverton failed to deal with a bouncing ball in the left hand side of their box and sub Darren Osmond said thank you very much as he fired the ball into the back of the net.

Exwicks Stuart Francis could have put his side back in front after a fine run into the box from the left hand side, but he blasted his shot over the crossbar. But the Exwick manager did not have to wait too long to see his side regain the lead.

Some great work out on the right hand side saw the ball played low into the Liverton box. Liam Vanstone scooped the ball goal ward and it looked like it was in but was cleared only for Stuart Francis to power the ball home.

Liverton did all the could to get back onto level terms but it was not to be. The closest they came was a thirty yard low effort by Ollie Booth that Fred Tonkin did well to get down to and push around the post for a Liverton corner.

Match referee Andrew Thomson blew up for fulltime and I would just like to say what a fine game he had. Got everything right and kept good control of the match. A really enjoyable game to watch with plenty of good football played, I’m sure both these clubs will end up further up the table come the end of the season.