SDL Div 3 AFC Staverton V Teign Village FC 5th March 2016

[Dave]

South Devon league Division Three

AFC Staverton V Teign Village FC

Saturday 5th March 2016 Kick-Off 2.30pm

Venue Staverton Playing Fields New Lane

Referee Steve Pearce

Final Score AFC Staverton 3 Teign Village FC 1

It feels more like winter now in early March than it did in December, but at least the rain has decided enough was enough, allowing football to get back to normal. It’s been a while since I covered a game in the South Devon League and I had planned to cover another game, but decided this morning to cover a game featuring a team I have never watched before

For those who may not know, Staverton is a village situated in the South Hams, it is 3 miles from Totnes. The name Staverton , or Stouretona, means "the village by the stony ford." The ford, an ancient crossing many centuries older than the bridge, was situated by Town Mills, and provided a route from the village to Dartington.

My late wife Carol and I could always be found on the Monday August bank holiday at the Staverton Elizabethan Fayre, sadly after forty three years it is no more, a sad lose to the village in my opinion.

AFC Staverton were established in 2012 so are a new team in the South Devon League, but there was a team known as Staverton and Landscove Football Club, did that club fold? AFC Staverton had only managed to play eight league games before today’s encounter, but had won six of those and losing two of them, putting them in fifth place in the table on eighteen points.

Teign Village are now in their ninety six season, what an achievement that is in itself when you think how many clubs have come and gone in the South Devon League over the years. I did cover one game that Teign Village played in against Foxhole, a club that has seemingly folded in the last twenty four hours. That game was played on the 10th November 2012, a game they ended up being well beaten by seven goals to nil

Match report here

davesworld.proboards.com/thread/140/foxhole-united-teign-village-2012

Teign Village had played one more league game that Staverton, winning four, drawing one and losing five, four of those defeats were at home. They were in tenth place in the table on thirteen points with a minus eight goal difference, compared to Staverton’s plus fourteen, so on paper this game looked like a home win for Staverton.


The sun did it’s very best to stay out on a rather cold and often windy afternoon and it was very welcome indeed. The pitch was soft as might be expected after all the recent wet weather, but it held up well enough.

Firstly my thanks to both clubs who made me most welcome and for sorting out all the names and numbers on the team sheet. Second my thanks to Steve Pearce today’s referee for all of his help as well. This is Steve’s first season as a South Devon League referee and having played the game at this level himself it really showed. You need a man in the middle who understands player’s frustrations, etc and Steve did a first class job. Getting everything right and playing with a smile on his face went such a long way to both sets of players accepting his decisions and just getting back on with the game.

This was a good game to watch and for most of it, it was end to end action, the standard of football was good and both sets of players worked hard. Staverton just edged it for me and were deserved winners, but the game could easily have ended up as a draw in the end.

The game was just six minutes old when a mistake at the back by the Staverton defence resulted in the ball being played through to Dean Kelly who looked yards offside. The shouts went out for offside and I think he must have thought he was as his effort was easily saved, but the ball came back to him up in the air and his second headed effort went over the crossbar.

Christopher Edmondson the Staverton keeper then took the goal kick and the ball ended up being played through to Christen Griffiths who only had the keeper Dan Leeds to beat. Christen side football the ball low past the despairing dive of the keeper and into the back of the net.

The Staverton defence were able to force Teign Village into taking shots from distance, one such shot from the edge of the Staverton box by Dean Kelly just went wide of the left hand post. Up the other end and Stephen Colville took a free kick just outside of the Valley box that he also put wide of the left hand post.

J. Gill played a big part in a good attacking move by Teign Village and had the ball finally played back to him for a shot on goal that only just cleared the crossbar. Just before the halftime break, Dan Kelly had another good opportunity to get his side back onto level terms. A free kick just outside the box that he send high and well wide of the target.

The referee blew up for halftime and I was wondering if that first half goal on the seven minute mark for Staverton was going to be the only one of the match.

The second half got underway and Staverton’s Christian Griffiths was soon in the action with some great control that led to a smart turn and shot that just went wide of the goalpost. Teign’s Matt Preston fancied his chances from long range with an effort that flew over the crossbar.

Jonathan Parsons for Staverton was having more of an effect on the game as it wore on and one great piece of build-up play resulted in a shot from him that narrowly went over the bar. He then hit another fine twenty yard effort that also just cleared the bar.

It was no real surprise when Jonathan Parsons finally made it two nil to Staverton, with Teign Village pushing up looking for an equalizer; they let plenty of space at the back. A long ball was played forward for Jonathan Parsons to chase, as the ball entered the left hand side of the box the keeper rushed out with his feet and caught Jonathan with them. The referee might well have blown up for a penalty had Jonathan hit the deck, but he stayed on his feet and from a tight angle fired the ball home.

Staverton’s Daniel Tucker was booked for a bad challenge, it was one of those that could so easily have been a red, but the way the game had been played by both sets of players, a yellow was more of a suitable punishment.

Staverton came so close to getting a third goal when Lee Clarke hit the shot of the match that looked destined to go in low at the left hand post. But that great strike was equalled by an even better save by Dan Leeds diving low to his right and getting a vital touch on the ball.

With eight or nine minutes to go Teign Village were giving a lifeline when they were awarded a spot kick. Not sure who conceded the foul, but Dean Kelly took the spot kick and made no mistake putting the ball past the left hand side of the keeper into the back of the net.

Was there time for Teign Village to get a point at least from this game? Well sadly for them no, but they tried hard enough. As it turned out they ended up getting caught out at the back and allowed Nick Griffiths who had come on as a second half sub, the chance to put his side three one in the lead which he did.

That was it and I enjoyed my first visit to Staverton Playing Fields and hope to cover another game there again some time in the future.

[Dave]

If you drive to Staverton from Totnes you are more than likely to cross over the river Dart on the old Staverton Bridge.

Borrowed from www.staverton.com/HISTORY/HISTORY.HTM

Before the 14th Century, people and packhorses had to cross the Dart at the ford. The first bridge in the parish was Austin’s bridge, originally 7’ 6’ it was widened in 1809. Dart bridge was built in 1356, and Staverton bridge appears to have been rebuilt after the previous wooden structure, was in danger of collapse in 1413.

The Church decided to finance the rebuilding by issuing Indulgences, an apparently common means of raising finance for such projects in medieval times. Indulgences were sold to people so that they could spend less time in Purgatory, the equivalent of paying a fine instead of going to prison. The morality of this method might be suspect, but at least we now benefit from the superstition of those who had done some wrong and were paying their way out.

The present fine stone bridge features on the Parish Council Chairman’s badge is believed to date from this time. Repairs and alterations have however, been carried out during the bridges long history.

Some colourful events appear to have taken place on the bridge over the years. In 1436, an enquiry resulted from a drunken brawl between a parish chaplain, Sir John Laa and John Gayne. They were returning home from dining out and they started to argue on the bridge. The former drew a knife in self defence and the latter fell on it and was killed. Normally, a priest who had killed a man would have lost his living, but the Bishops enquiry absolved Sir John of any guilt and he continued in office.

Twenty years later, other incidents took place involving John Murry, the Bailiff of Haytor Hundred, who should have been maintaining the peace, but instead appears to have behaved suspiciously like a highwayman, relieving travellers of horses, harnesses and baggage. It would have been an ideal place for waylaying and trapping victims.

The original file is in full HD and taken using the Transend Drivepro 200 dash cam that I use both in my van and car,to view in full HD click on the clog on the bottom right to change the quality settings